Apocalypse Now Again
by RaB
Summary: **COMPLETE** While Dawn is trying to find a way to balance school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are working on their relationship. All together, they are facing the impending apocalypse. ~Please Review~
1. Balance

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 1: Balance  
  
The Slayer's eyes fluttered open and immediately shut again. She groaned at the sound of her alarm clock going off, it was seven in the morning and she hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep. She wondered how Buffy was able to balance school and patrolling when she was a senior in High School.  
  
Dawn sat up and swung her legs around so that her feet were just barely touching the soft carpeting on her floor. She pressed the 'snooze' button on her alarm clock and sighed thankfully to herself that the annoying buzzing sound had ceased. She smiled to herself a bit, and in spite of the fact that she hated the first day of school, she was finally a senior.  
  
Dawn stood up and looked around. She had an hour and thirteen minutes to get shower, dress, and eat before Xander came to drive her to school. She knew looking good on the first day was extremely important, but she wondered if it would be wiser to just go back to bed. She looked at the dirt encrusted under her nails from the night's patrol and decided that personal hygiene had to come first.  
  
The young Slayer walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She let the water run and fill the room with steam before taking off her pajamas and stepping into the pleasantly warm water. She didn't realize how sore she was until the water dripping down her body soothed the aches in her back and shoulders.  
  
After what Dawn figured what was about ten minutes, Dawn turned off the water and proceeded to get ready. She dried her hair and pinned it up so that it still hung about her neck. She dressed in the beige spaghetti- strap top and tight blue jeans that flared out at the bottom. By the time she finished dressing and putting on her make-up, it was seven fifty-nine, which gave Dawn just enough time to eat.  
  
As she climbed down the stair, Dawn could smell pancakes being cooked in the kitchen. She smiled and wondered to herself which of her three makeshift mothers was cooking. She turned around the stairs to she Tara standing over the stove, spatula in hand. Willow and Buffy were at the other side pouring various liquids into cups of all shapes and sizes. When Tara saw the teen standing at the threshold of the kitchen, she smiled warmly.  
  
"Morning," she greeted cheerily. "Round or funny shapes?"  
  
Dawn smiled. "Whatever."  
  
"Good morning, Dawnie," Buffy said to her sister.  
  
"You guys are all early risers," Dawn said smiling. "You guys aren't worried about me getting off are ya?"  
  
"Well, besides that," Willow told her jokingly, "I have classes and your sister has to go to work."  
  
Dawn nodded. She was excited for Buffy who was able to get rid of that stupid Doublemeat palace hat and pick up a nametag at the Y. She had proven herself worthy of a job teaching self defense to whomever needed defending. On the Hellmouth, these types of classes were quite popular. She even taught kids classes twice a week. The best part was she got paid more and worked less. As Buffy put it, there was no such thing as a double shift, which was mainly why she took the job.  
  
Dawn put a pancake on her plate and smothered it in syrup. She devoured it and downed a glass of orange juice before looking in the direction of the stairs questioningly.  
  
"Is Spike still sleeping?"  
  
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I guess you really tired him out last night, huh?"  
  
Dawn smiled. "We came upon this whole nest of vamps, it was awesome! I mean, such a rush, Buffy you should have been there."  
  
"Dawn, I think you might be getting a little too excited over this."  
  
"I don't know," Dawn shrugged. "I've gotta have something to keep me awake. Hey! Can I have coffee?"  
  
Buffy raised and eyebrow and then sighed. "Sure."  
  
Dawn smiled widely and picked up a one of the cups of coffee. She placed it to her lips and started to drink when she heard Xander's car honking. She sighed and put the cup back on the counter. Dawn smiled and promptly left the house and jumped into Xander's car. He squeezed her shoulder playfully and smiled.  
  
"Hey Dawnster. You ready for your first day of school?"  
  
"Hmm," the Slayer wondered allowed. "I suppose as ready as I'll ever be."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Dawn sat herself at one of the outdoor lunch tables that had been added over the summer. She put down the tray, which had a tuna sandwich, and Snapple can and sighed. She was tired and hungry which made a bad combination. She picked up the sandwich and was about to take a bite when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Janice and her friend Maya standing over her.  
  
"Hey Summers," Janice greeted as she sat down.  
  
Dawn smiled and warmly as she could. "Hey. Maya, right?"  
  
The girl nodded and sat next to Janice who was eating Doritos and a diet Coke. She smiled at Dawn and tilted her head.  
  
"You look worn."  
  
"I am," Dawn sighed. "Late night. Many late nights."  
  
"What are you doing up so late?"  
  
Dawn shook her head. "Not sleeping."  
  
Janice shrugged and continued to eat her chips. "Hey, what are you doing tonight?"  
  
"Uh..." Dawn was annoyed that such a simple question had to be covered up by a more ambiguous answer. "Working."  
  
"You work?" Janice asked. "What do you do."  
  
"Oh, you know, odd jobs here and there."  
  
Janice furrowed her brow. She had been friends with Dawn since middle school, and they had always been really close. However, over the past two years, Dawn had seemed to be distancing herself.  
  
"Can I come?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Can I hang with you at work?"  
  
Dawn was truly surprised by the question. Janice had never been so inquisitive about her life, at least the "work" aspect anyway. Dawn tilted her head and got a good look at her friend, her best friend. Would it really hurt for Janice to know? Dawn trusted her, and it's not like Janice hadn't seen a vampire. Buffy had friends who knew, why couldn't Dawn.  
  
"Why don't you come to the Magic Box after school with me."  
  
Janice smiled widely. "Okay." Finally she might have her friend back.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Dawn was smiling and listening to Janice's story politely as they left the school grounds. She was so wrapped up in paying attention to her friend that she walked into David. David: the adorable next door neighbor sort of kid who you could take home to mom. Dawn smiled apologetically and shook her head.  
  
"Sorry Dave, I wasn't watching where I was going."  
  
Dave smiled back, which caused his beautiful blue eyes to light up. "It's no problem. If I had to bump into anyone I'm glad it was you."  
  
Dawn felt her knees weaken a little when he handed her the book that she had dropped. She had had a crush on him for months, but didn't want to say anything to ruin their friendship. Sometimes, however, he sent subtle hints that told her he felt the same way.  
  
"I'm glad I bumped into you then," Dawn told him, smiling as widely as she possibly could. He nodded at her then Janice, before walking past them towards wherever he was off to.  
  
Dawn began to walk again when her movement was interrupted by David's voice. "Hey Dawn?"  
  
"Yeah?" She said, turning around.  
  
"You wanna go out sometime?"  
  
Dawn thought she would faint. However, she able to maintain her composure. "Yeah," she told him, trying not to sound too eager.  
  
"Great. Friday?"  
  
Dawn nodded enthusiastically. Dave smiled at her again and she thought she might melt. However, she remained a solid and turned back in the direction of the magic shop. She was smiling so hard she thought her face might rip in two. A date! With Dave! It didn't get better than that. Dawn looked at Janice who was giggling uncontrollably. Dawn couldn't help but laugh as she and Janice managed to make their way to the Magic Box. 


	2. Telling

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 2: Telling  
  
Dawn entered that Magic Box with Janice. Anya looked up from behind the counter and smiled warmly before looking back at the pile of papers that she was looking over and filling out. Dawn walked over to the table in the middle of the shop and threw her books and her bag down on it; Janice copied her friend's action.  
  
Giles walked from the back training room with a few books in his hands he smiled at Dawn much like Anya had. His face looked puzzled when he saw that she was not alone.  
  
"Hello Dawn, and uh, Janice. Dawn, why is Janice hear?"  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes and grabbed Giles' arm. She pulled him away from her friend and mouthed one minute.  
  
"I want to tell her," Dawn whispered bluntly.  
  
"What? Dawn, you know that your identity must be kept a secret."  
  
"But Giles-"  
  
"No buts Dawn, you know the rules."  
  
"Buffy told her friends."  
  
"I know but-"  
  
"But what now? Why is Buffy always the exception?"  
  
"Oh Dawn, I know how hard this must be-"  
  
"No, see, you don't. You don't know how lonely this is. Having this big secret that no one can know. I love the Scoobies but Xander and Willow and everyone is my friend by default. It's not like I'm just blabbing it to everyone. I mean, Buffy was here for what, twelve hours before Xander and Willow knew? I bet she didn't get the third degree the way I do and I haven't even told anyone." Dawn crossed her arms defiantly and cocked and eyebrow.  
  
Giles sighed. "Talk to Buffy about it, see what she thinks. None of my bloody Slayers ever listen to me anyway."  
  
Dawn squealed with excitement and hugged Giles happily. "Thank you thank you thank you! Where is she?"  
  
Giles pointed toward the training room and Dawn practically floated in there to find her sister. When she saw Buffy she immediately expressed her wish to tell her friend her secret. Before Buffy could even respond Dawn had told her her entire argument in her defense.  
  
Buffy sighed and leaned against the balance beam. She looked at her feet and then back at her sister.  
  
"How much do you trust her?"  
  
"Buffy," Dawn began, looking into her sister's eyes, "I really, really trust her."  
  
"Do you think she'll freak?"  
  
"No, I mean, it's not like she hasn't seen a vampire. Remember Halloween two years ago?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
Dawn raised her eyebrows. "So can I please?"  
  
Buffy looked hard at her sister, contemplating the idea of letting yet another person in on the secret that she had had such a difficult time keeping herself. But she decided that if her sister trusted her friend so much, then she should give her a chance. Buffy nodded and Dawn squealed with joy. She ran to the door of the training room and motioned for her friend to come in. Janice went to Dawn obediently and her jaw dropped when she saw the large room full of various types of equipment.  
  
"What is all this?"  
  
"Janice, I have something I want to tell you."  
  
Janice narrowed her eyes. "Um, okay."  
  
"Can you keep a secret? I mean really, really keep a secret?"  
  
Janice looked at Dawn apprehensively. "Yes."  
  
Dawn smiled. "Janice, I'm a Vampire Slayer."  
  
Janice's jaw dropped once again. "No way!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/n: Sorry this chapter is kind of short, but I promise it'll get better. I just have to set things up. you know how it is. 


	3. Perfection?

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 3: Perfection?  
  
Dawn followed Buffy into their house with Janice listening by her side. It turned out that Janice's cousin, Leanne, had graduated with Buffy, and had told Janice story after story of her experiences at Sunnydale High. Janice had never believed her. When she had seen her first vampire, at Halloween two years ago, she was still skeptical. Now Dawn was telling her of her "sacred duty" and she still barely believed what she was hearing. However, Janice felt that all this couldn't just be coincidence.  
  
"So wait, Spike is a vampire?"  
  
Dawn laughed and nodded. "Yep."  
  
"So why doesn't he want to like, you know, kill you?"  
  
"Long story short: a few years ago he got a chip in his head that kept him from hurting humans. Then he fell in love with my sister. Now his love for Buffy has somehow uncovered some little bits of his soul."  
  
Janice looked confused. "Um, okay."  
  
At that moment, Spike came down the stairs, barefoot with his hair ruffled. He smiled at Buffy, Dawn, then Janice, who blushed uncontrollably and walked out of the room. Dawn giggled and followed her friend.  
  
"What's that about?" Spike asked, nodding towards the direction in which Dawn and her friend had made their exit.  
  
"I'm not sure. Maybe she has a crush on you," Buffy told him jokingly.  
  
"No, I mean, why is her friend here? Isn't she patrolling tonight?"  
  
"Janice is here because she was invited over for dinner. Dawn is not patrolling tonight because I decided to give her a break since it was the first day of school. And, uh, Janice knows."  
  
Spike looked a bit surprised. "How?"  
  
"Dawn told her."  
  
"And you allowed this?" Spike asked, unsure of Buffy's motive.  
  
"Yes. Dawn trusts her, so I trust her, and you will trust her."  
  
Spike narrowed his eyes. "Isn't that the girl that the Nibblet ran off with a couple of years ago?"  
  
"Spike, I am going to abruptly change the subject and you why it is that I've been home for" Buffy looked at the clock "three and a half entire minutes and still you haven't kissed me?"  
  
Spike smiled and placed his mouth softly over Buffy's. She returned the kiss and an elated sigh escaped her lips. Spike removed his lips from hers and buried his face in the hollow of his lover's neck. Buffy smiled and wrapped her arms around Spike's muscular shoulders. Spike inhaled the scent of Buffy's perfume and smiled. This is what he had always wanted. Since he had realized his passion and love for the Slayer, all he wanted was to be able to really have her. To be able to have a relationship that wasn't purely based on the amazing sex.  
  
Spike placed a chaste kissed on Buffy's neck and lifted his head from her shoulder. She smiled a smile that felt as though it was traveling throughout her body. Spike leaned in to kiss her again when the door opened, almost hitting Buffy in the back.  
  
"Oh, sorry Buffy," Tara exclaimed. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything," Tara laughed quietly.  
  
Spike smiled. "Not at all," he told her, trying his best not to grit his teeth.  
  
"How was work?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Oh you know, same old same old." Tara had found her niche working with troubled kids as a counselor at the youth center. Buffy always knew that Tara had a very earth-mothery sort of essence, and the work she was doing was perfect for her.  
  
Much like Tara, Willow had found a job that she loved. She was teaching Advanced Computer Science at UCSD.  
  
'Everyone is so happy,' Buffy thought to herself. 'I can't believe everything is going so right.'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The old woman raised her worn hand toward Jrea. The Fyarl demon raised his head obediently and bowed with respect.  
  
"Bring me more wine," she told Jrea in the ancient demon language of her people, a language she forced all of her servants to learn. He did and grunted as she took it from him and placed it too her mouth. She sipped it slowly, allow the sweetness of the drink to pass over her tongue and throat wonderfully.  
  
"It will be time soon," she said, almost at a whisper. "I will rise again and mortals will pay for what they have done to me. For what they have made me become."  
  
The demon nodded and lowered his head once again. He thought of what fun it would be to crush and smash and tear the lives of the human pestilence that he would soon wreak havoc on. Such were the ways of the Fyarl demons, they would live to serve and their reward was the torture they unleashed. He became excited when he heard his mistress begin the incantation.  
  
"Umpa natma ayarla encanta. Mei namba alla feyisha!"  
  
But still, it was only the beginning. 


	4. No Understanding

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 4: No Understanding  
  
Janice took another bite of her pizza while listening politely to the relatively lame and boring story that Buffy was telling about her day at work. She looked around a bit her eyes fell on Spike. A vampire? How could he possibly be a vampire? Besides being a bit pale, he seemed perfectly normal. Her eyes traveled from his hair to his sculpted cheekbones to the coffee mug he was drinking from. She furrowed her brow.  
  
"Is that really blood?" Janice asked, rudely interrupting Buffy. Buffy, Dawn, Tara and Willow all looked up from their food and looked at Janice, then at Spike. The vampire smiled and cocked his head.  
  
"What do you think?" He replied softly.  
  
Janice wrinkled her nose. "Mostly I'm thinking gross."  
  
Dawn giggled and Spike shot her a playful look as he remembered the first time Dawn had come to his crypt. He thought of it as the beginning of their friendship. He continued to look at Janice who was obviously a little put off by the idea of real blood on the table she was eating at.  
  
"It's not human blood, is it?"  
  
"Not anymore," he answered bluntly. She tilted her head as if confused by his answer, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly.  
  
"So, you really used to then? You used to kill people?"  
  
Spike smile faded from his face and he nodded plainly. Lying didn't really get him anywhere anymore, and he figured that the plain and simple truth was best. Janice was a big girl, and he didn't fell like it was his responsibility to butter up the world for her. She had been living in Sunnydale all her life and the fact that she didn't truly believe anything strange was going on till that night was bad enough.  
  
"You frightened of me, then?"  
  
Janice considered the question for a moment. "Strangely, no."  
  
Dawn could swear that she heard Spike mumble "damn" under his breath, or lack there of, but she kept herself from laughing. Dawn merely looked at bleach-blonde vamp and smiled widely.  
  
"Uh, Dawn. You're patrolling on Friday, right?" Buffy asked, abruptly changing the subject.  
  
"Nope, can't. I got a date."  
  
"A DATE?" Spike and Buffy asked in unison.  
  
"Why do you sound so shocked?" Dawn asked, her tone annoyed and bordering on angry.  
  
"I think it's great, Dawnie," Tara told her supportively, giving a pleading look to Willow who nodded in agreement.  
  
"It isn't great," Buffy insisted. "I mean, I'm happy that you have a date, Dawn, but we already discussed this and I thought we agreed that you would go Friday. What we do is important and-"  
  
"I know Buffy, I really get how important it is, I do. But I thought you could maybe go in Friday and I'll take an extra day."  
  
"It doesn't work like that Dawn. Dating has to come second."  
  
"Oh, like it did with you. Like when you could take your vampire boyfriend on patrol with you. I'm sorry, maybe I should go find Angel and see if he'd like to go out with me so I can date on patrol!"  
  
"Dawn, do what your sister says. If she says no date, then no date. Besides-"  
  
"Besides what Spike?" Dawn asked angrily, her voice rising angrily. "You can't tell me what to do."  
  
"Bloody right I can! If Buffy says that YOU are patrolling then YOU are patrolling. Deal with it. Sacred duty and all that, sometimes we all have to do things we don't want to."  
  
Dawn stood up from the table and motioned for Janice to follow. Janice stood up shyly and walked to the stairs. Dawn stayed at the table and she narrowed her eyes at Spike.  
  
"Fine. Take her side. But you are not my parent in ANY way so just butt out of my life!"  
  
Dawn turned around angrily and stormed up the stairs, Janice on her heel. When they reached her room Dawn slammed the door angrily behind her. Janice walked over to her bed and sat down heavily on it.  
  
"Does that usually happen?"  
  
"God, ever since he started dating Buffy... he used to side with me when I was right."  
  
"Maybe he just doesn't want you to date, if he's anything like my dad-"  
  
"But he's not MY father Janice. He has no right to tell me what to do. He's so fucking over protective I can't take it! They drive me crazy."  
  
"I get that," Janice told her friend sympathetically.  
  
"No, you couldn't possibly. My guardians are my slayer sister, her best friend and her girlfriend who are witches. And then, I don't even know how Spike fits into my life. I just want to be normal, sometimes."  
  
"You still seem pretty normal to me," Janice added comfortingly.  
  
Dawn smiled. "Thanks. You know, I have all this frustration bubbling over the top I need to... hey Janice, you wanna come on a patrol?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Spike stood up from the table after he heard Dawn's door slam upstairs. He walked over to the coat rack by the door and put on his trademark leather duster.  
  
"She doesn't want me in her life? Fine, I won't be," he mumbled angrily.  
  
Buffy heard and tried to argue. "Spike, she's a seventeen year old girl, don't take it too personally."  
  
Spike merely waved his hand at her and stormed out the front door. He turned toward the cemetery and felt for the stake in his pocket. He smiled ruefully and began to walk towards to graveyard.  
  
"How's about it beasties," he mumbled to no one in particular. "Step on up." e 


	5. Hot Tempers

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 5: Hot Tempers  
  
Buffy grumbled with frustration as she and the two Wiccans cleared the table. She couldn't stand the bickering that had been ensuing between her sister and her lover since they had gotten together. They used to get along so well, better than she had with either of them. What happened?  
  
"What's wrong with them?" Buffy finally blurted aloud angrily.  
  
Willow gave her a sympathetic look and shrugged her shoulders. "He's a cranky vampire and she's a teenager and now that he's over all the time they but heads?"  
  
Buffy sighed. "Maybe. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on Dawn. Let her date and stuff, I know how I felt when I was her age. Actually when I was her age I was fighting to the death with the love of my life and then I sent him to hell and ran away and went to hell myself... but that's ancient history. I need to give Dawn her freedom. I mean, I didn't get this far from following the rules, right? I mean, yeah, I died twice, but I'm here now."  
  
Willow shot Tara an anxious look and raised her eyebrows at Buffy.  
  
"Sorry," Buffy apologized. "I'm babbling 'cause I'm frustrated. I mean, the two of them... ugh. I'm gonna go talk to Dawn."  
  
"That's good," Tara nodded approvingly. "I think it's definitely best to take care of this now before it get totally blown out of control."  
  
With that, Buffy nodded and walked to the stairs. On her way up, she took a deep, calming breath and counted backwards from ten. She didn't want to lose her temper with Dawn, no matter how obnoxious she was. The only thing a shout-fest would accomplish would be more angry and cranky people.  
  
The Slayer walked into her sister's room without knocking. What she discovered made her cheeks flush with anger. The window was wide open and the two girls were missing from the room.  
  
"That girl..."  
  
Buffy ran downstairs and grabbed her leather jacket off the coat rack and looked to her best friend who was now sitting in the living room working on her laptop.  
  
"What's up?" The red-head asked.  
  
"I gotta go out," Buffy told her. "Hopefully you won't have to wait up."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Dawn walked rhythmically in between various gravestones with Janice at her heel doing her best to keep up.  
  
"So, what is it you do again?" Janice asked quite out of breath.  
  
"Kill things," Dawn said simply, frustrated that she still hadn't found any vampires needing to be slain. Until she turned the corner around a crypt and bumped into one.  
  
"Spike!" She said, annoyance real and apparent in her tone.  
  
"What?" He inquired nonchalantly.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Uh- I live here Nibblet, have you forgotten?" The vampire asked as he lit a cigarette.  
  
"No, I just... you're not staying at the house?"  
  
Spike shrugged. "Nah, thought I'd stay at my crypt tonight, till hot tempers cooled," he cocked and eyebrow at Dawn and stared at her knowingly until he noticed Janice was standing shyly behind her.  
  
"Bringing friends on patrol not an idle threat with you, huh pet?"  
  
Dawn merely rolled her eyes and crossed her arms defiantly. "Why do you do that?"  
  
"Do what?" Spike asked, his voice practically cracking he was so frustrated with the young Slayer.  
  
Dawn's arms fell to her sides angrily. "God! You don't get anything! I can't even talk to you!"  
  
"Fine! Then don't!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Good then!"  
  
Dawn turned around and began to walk away when she was jumped suddenly. Her body made a loud smashing sound when she hit the floor; a large, scaly, green monster with large horns protruding from its head was laying on top of her as Dawn struggled to free herself from its power grasp.  
  
"DAWN!" Spike and Buffy shouted in unison. She happened to hear her sister and the vampire fighting and she followed their voices to where they stood. She came in just in time to see the young woman being attacked by the demon.  
  
Buffy ran to the demon and grabbed his shoulders, ripping him off her sister violently. Dawn stood up, panting for air. The wind had been knocked out of her when she hit the ground, but that didn't keep her from regaining her balance and going into fighting stance immediately, almost instinctively.  
  
Buffy pinned her opponent on the ground, holding her foot by his neck so that if he tried to move, it would only take one quick snap to defeat him.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked angrily, when he didn't reply, Spike put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"He won't understand you, love. This here's a Fyarl Demon, won't know English."  
  
Buffy looked and him and choked a laugh, at the memory of Giles as a demon. She couldn't help it when she looked down and checked his eyes just to be sure. When she knew it wasn't a friend or loved one within the body of the demon, she looked back at Spike.  
  
"Can you communicate with him?" Buffy asked hopefully.  
  
"I happen to speak Fyarl, so you're in luck, pet." Spike smiled and looked at the creature lying on the ground. He spoke a few words that sounded like gibberish to Buffy's ears, but apparently it made sense to the beast. He spoke back to Spike who twisted his face.  
  
"He says he won't tell us anything, he lives for pain and torture, yadda yadda, and for someone called, 'Ayanathla'. He says that he would die before she is free."  
  
Buffy kicked the demon and told Spike to ask again. He did but shook his head when the demon would not respond. Buffy sighed and snapped his neck.  
  
"Oh well, the demon is dead at least. That wasn't too hard," she smiled at her sister who was grasping her side.  
  
"Uh... guys?" Janice called to them. Her face was white and that was the last thing she said before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fainted.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Another one slain by that retched Slayer," the sorceress called from her thrown. She sighed and called for Jrea to come to her side.  
  
"He was worthless. An idiot who did not know what he was doing. We will sent better, mistress. We will send all the armies of hell if we must, for your wicked grace."  
  
She smiled sardonically. "Yes, but even if we were to send the armies of all the evil dimensions, I have doubts of whether it would take care of our little Slayer problem. Did she not take on Glorificus? She died twice and still that does not stop her wrath on the evil populace. Now there are two slayers of the same blood. It could be a problem."  
  
"We will take care of it," Jrea groveled to his mistress. "I swear to you, no mere slayer will stand between you and what you need to set you free. I swear by my life."  
  
"I hope so," Ayanathla sighed. "I'd hate to have to kill me most noble soldier."  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Please please please review! I'd love to know what you guys think. There's cookies and ice cream if you do... 


	6. Caring Regarless

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 6: Caring Regardless  
  
Janice's eyes fluttered open. She wasn't sure where she was, or what had happened exactly, but she could tell something was wrong. She looked up to see the bleach-blonde vampire holding a ice pack on her head. That's when she felt the splitting headache and painful bump on her head. She moaned.  
  
"She's awake!" Spike called out to someone, Janice could not tell who. Almost immediately Dawn came running over.  
  
"Omigod! Janice! Are you ok?" She asked, kneeling by Janice who was laying on the living room couch.  
  
"Ow," she replied. "What happened?"  
  
"Uh, do you remember the demons?"  
  
"Oh yeah. Did I pass out?"  
  
Dawn nodded and bit her lip.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Don't be! Please, I totally understand that you were freaked!"  
  
"But you're okay?" Spike asked. "You remember your name and the year and what odd?"  
  
"Yeah. I remember."  
  
Spike nodded and smiled down at her before turning his attention to Dawn who was kneeling next to him.  
  
"That was right stupid what you did," he lectured her. "Taking your friend patrolling."  
  
"Oh. Here we go," Dawn sighed.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Why are you always getting on my case about everything? You are not my father!"  
  
Spike stood angrily, still holding the ice pack. "Not your father? Fine! But I'm the bloody closest thing to one you've got right now!" He yelled, feeling like he shouldn't have to put up with her crap anymore. "Where's your father, then? If I'm not it, who is? I don't see Hank hanging around, or sending you birthday card, or helping you with your homework or being there for you. I am ALWAYS! So why would your bloody absentee father get more say than I do in your life?"  
  
Dawn's eyes filled with tears and she turned around and stormed off shouting, "I'm going to tell Buffy that Janice is okay."  
  
Dawn walked into the kitchen where Buffy was just getting off the phone. She turned around and cocked her head at her younger sister. She's grown up so much, so fast, Buffy thought. How did that happen?  
  
"What was all that noise in there?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Spike was yelling at me," Dawn told her quietly, not wanting to repeat what he said.  
  
"Yelling at you?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"Okay Dawn. I'm not gonna pry, because what you and Spike fight about is your business. However, I am gonna tell you to get over it! Whatever you and Spike have been bickering over the past couple of weeks, deal with it. If it means avoiding him completely, then do that. If it means sitting down like the mature adult I'm pretty sure you are and having a talk with him, then do that. Just fix whatever it is that's causing the two of you to bicker all the time. I mean, I don't know what happened. You two used to get along so well."  
  
Dawn's jaw dropped a bit, her eyes were filled with anger. "How can you put this all on me? Why does everyone make everything my fault?"  
  
"I'm not making this your fault, Dawn. I'm just asking you to do what you can to make the problem better; take a little initiative."  
  
Dawn shook her head. "Whatever. Was that Janice's mom?"  
  
Buffy sighed. "Yeah."  
  
"What did you tell her happened?"  
  
"I told her that you and Janice were fooling around and that she fell and hit her head. She seemed annoyed but not angry. I guess that's good, you know, that she'll probably let Janice come over again."  
  
Dawn smiled. "That would definitely be a plus. I feel so bad though. Spike said it was stupid of me to take Janice, I guess he was right." Not that I'd ever admit it to him, she thought.  
  
"Well, it isn't something I would have recommend, or even allowed, but I understand why you did it. Xander followed me once into the sewers, I hadn't known him a week, and I almost got him killed."  
  
Dawn looked a bit surprised. "You invited him?"  
  
"No, he just decided to tag along. But you have to understand, Dawnie, now that Janice knows, whether or not she goes on patrols or whatever, she will always be in danger. She knows a huge secret now; she knows of a world that people only have nightmares about and insist it couldn't be," Buffy paused. "God, I sound like Giles. But maybe it took me till now to realize how right he was. Anyone who knows is in danger, that's sort of just the way it is."  
  
Dawn nodded. "I understand, Buffy. I really get it now."  
  
"Good. Now, your friends mother is going to be here in fifteen minutes so why don't you explain to her 'the alibi.'"  
  
"Okay," Dawn sighed as she walked back into the other room. At that point, Janice was sitting up, holding the ice pack on her own head. She was listening attentively tot he story Spike was telling her. He stopped when she noticed that the Slayer had walked into the room. She smiled at him pleasantly, and nodded as a sign to continue. He finished whatever it was that he was telling Janice just as her mother rang the doorbell. Dawn answered the door to an anxious Mrs. Penshaw walked into the house.  
  
"Where's Janice? Is she okay?"  
  
"I'm fine mom," Janice replied, walking into the entrance hall, still holding the ice pack.  
  
"My god Janice. What were you doing?"  
  
"Nothing, just jumping around on Dawn's bed. I fell and bumped my head."  
  
Mrs. Penshaw shook her head at her daughter. "I will never understand you." Her gaze turned from Janice to Spike. "Oh, you must be... uh... Spike?"  
  
The vampire smiled. "Yeah, that's me. Silly nickname, I know. You're welcome to call me William," he said politely, shaking the woman's hand.  
  
"Oh," she said, "well, it's a pleasure to meet you." She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "you're as cute as Janice says."  
  
Everyone heard her last comment. Janice's eyes widened and her cheeks and ears became bright red. Dawn merely giggled and she looked to Spike who looked as if he would surely be blushing if he could.  
  
"Well, we better get going," Mrs. Penshaw said to Janice who nodded ferociously and walked out the door, mumbling a quick goodbye to Dawn. She closed the door behind them and looked to Spike.  
  
"Well, that was an, interesting evening," he told the youngest Summers.  
  
Dawn nodded.  
  
Spike sighed and took Dawn by surprise when he took her into his arms. "Do you know how much I care about you."  
  
Dawn let out a deep sigh, and felt the tension melt away. She wrapped her arms aound his waist and hugged him in response. "I know," she mumbled into his chest.  
  
"And I worry, and I care. So please don't ever ask me not to. I love you always, regardless of whether you want me to."  
  
Dawn nodded and suddenly felt the urge to cry. "I hate to fight with you."  
  
Spike released the girl and looked down at her. "Then don't," he told her, a slight smile forming on his face. Dawn pushed his chest playfully before looking back up and him.  
  
"I'll try."  
  
"That's good, then. Now get up to bed. Youngsters like yourself need their rest."  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "You'll never understand me," she told him.  
  
"No Nibblet, I probably won't."  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Please please please review! I'd love to know what you guys think. There's cookies and ice cream if you do... 


	7. Adrenaline

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 6: Adrenaline  
  
Spike hopped up onto the island in the in the kitchen. He pulled out a cigarette from behind his ear, put it in his mouth and lit it. She closed his eyes and inhaled deeply when he felt the cigarette pulled violently from his mouth.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Dawn gave him a 'you should know better face.' "You know what Buffy told you about smoking in the house. You may be prone to lung cancer but everyone else in here is quite capable of getting it."  
  
Spike merely snorted at her. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he sighed as he hopped of the counter. He looked up and down at the teenager. She was wearing a tight black spaghetti strap shirt that was cut so that it came right above her navel. Her jeans were ultra-low rise so that her hip bones jutted out right above her black leather belt. The pants went all the way down her legs and flared at the bottom. Just below the flare were platform strappy sandals.  
  
"So," Spike began, trying to sound nonchalant, "when's you pimp coming to pick you up?"  
  
Dawn narrowed and rolled her eyes at him before turning around so that her thick long hair swished behind her and bounced on her shoulders and back. Spike made an annoyed noise and began to follow her.  
  
"What? I was kidding," he insisted. Dawn just turned around and gave him a look that would make his blood run cold if it could.  
  
"I just want to look nice, could you not give me a hard time?" She pleaded, her eyes begging along with her tone.  
  
"You look lovely," he told her sincerely. "Very posh. But if this guy tries to get fresh with you, don't hold back, be creative. You kick the shit out of him, and when you've had your way you get me and I'll kill him. Good and proper like I know how."  
  
Dawn smiled and walked the rest of the way to the door. Buffy came down the stairs and stopped half way down.  
  
"You look... wow Dawnie. Very mature. Not leaving much to the imagination either are we?"  
  
Dawn just rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. Buffy smiled. "You look gorgeous."  
  
Dawn smiled in return. "I know."  
  
Just on time, the doorbell rang. Dawn gave and excited squeak, clamed herself, and opened the door. Dave stood there looking cute as ever, Dawn thought. He stepped in and gave Dawn a sweet hug. She hugged him bag and he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. Spike cleared his throat and Dawn giggled and pulled away.  
  
"Dave, you know my sister Buffy. And this is Spike."  
  
Dave stepped forward a bit and extended his hand politely. Spike took it in his own and shook it. When Dave pulled away he looked down at his palm as if something we put there.  
  
"Whew. Cold hands."  
  
"I get that a lot," Spike said cooly.  
  
Dave nodded. "Spike? That's a strange name?"  
  
Spike smiled sadistically. "Wanna know how I got it?"  
  
Buffy slapped him in the chest and Dawn gave him a look that told him to stop while he was behind. She then took Dave's hand and nodded toward his car.  
  
"We'd better go."  
  
Dave nodded and he smiled politely at Buffy. "It was nice to see you again," she told the young man. "And have her back by one, okay?"  
  
Dawn nodded for him and pulled him out the door. "Have a nice time," Spike shouted as he closed the door behind them.  
  
"I don't like him."  
  
"Oh come now," Buffy cooed. "Don't be so quick to judge. He's a sweet kid and he and Dawn have been friends for years."  
  
"I don't care; I don't trust him."  
  
Buffy walked to her lover and put her arms around his neck. In response he wrapped his arms around her slender waist.  
  
"Spike, if relationships weren't based on trust, we never would have made it this far."  
  
"You trust me then?"  
  
Buffy smiled. "With every part of my being, I trust you Spike. You have more than proven yourself to me. If I hadn't chosen to trust you when the chip stopped working, I wouldn't be half as happy as I am. You haven't hurt a single person of your own free will and I love you even more because of it."  
  
"You're more than worth it," Spike said, smiling warmly at her. "But I still don't like the kid."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes again. "Can we please get off of Dawn? You wouldn't like anyone she chose to date! And more to the point, Dawn won't be back for hours and Tara and Willow are out patrolling. Do you see what I'm getting at?"  
  
"I think I do," he told her, sweeping her up off of his feet and carrying her upstairs.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Dawn and Dave walked over to the bar after hours of dancing. They each picked up their sodas and walked over to the last empty table. Dawn took a long sip and Dave just stared at her, his eyes a but glazed over.  
  
Dawn looked up. "What?"  
  
Dave came out of his stupor and laughed. "Nothing. Just admiring your adorablness."  
  
"Really?" Dawn asked, her cheeks turning a bright red.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Dawn giggled and gave a glance to her watch. It was twenty to one and she figured they should probably get going. She let out a disappointed sigh, not wanting the evening to end.  
  
"We gotta go soon," Dawn told him.  
  
"I was hoping you wouldn't notice."  
  
"Me either."  
  
They both stood up, collecting their few belongings when a new song went on. The beats practically called to Dawn when she realized what song it was.  
  
//You don't feel the pain//  
  
"I love this song!" Dawn told Dave enthusiastically. "Come on, one last dance?"  
  
Dave smiled and took her hand. "How could I refuse such a pretty face, Ms. Summers?"  
  
Dawn led him onto the dance floor. She put her arms around his neck and they began to dance.  
  
//Too much is not enough  
  
Nobody said this stuff makes any sense  
  
We're hooked again//  
  
  
  
//Point of no return  
  
See how the buildings burn  
  
Light up the night  
  
Such pretty sight//  
  
Dawn's body swayed against David's as they moved to the music. The way they danced made it seem as if they were dancing to a beat of their own.  
  
//Adrenaline keeps me in the game  
  
Adrenaline you don't even feel the pain  
  
Wilder than your wildest dreams  
  
When you're going to extremes  
  
It takes adrenaline  
  
(You don't feel the pain)//  
  
David looked into Dawn's eyes and he felt light he was floating. Was it love? He though. It couldn't be, could it? He found the permission he was looking for in the eager glow if her eyes and he leaned into kiss her. Dawn tilter her head and puckered her lips to show that she had no objection to his move. Suddenly, just before his mouth was about to land on hers, her Slayer senses went ballistic and she pulled back. She knew it wasn't Dave, so what could it be? She looked around the crowded Bronze and saw a man dressed as if he had been trapped in the eighties leading a girl who looked no older than herself out the backdoor. It had to be him.  
  
"Dammit," she mumbled under her breath.  
  
"What's wrong?" Dave asked concerned.  
  
"Uh, nothing. I just got a bit light-headed. I'm gonna step out for some fresh air, kay?"  
  
David nodded, looking rather disappointed. Dawn looked from the David to the door which was closing behind the vampire.  
  
"You stay right here," she instructed him. She began to walk off hurriedly when she turned around, ran back to her date and kissed him on the lips. She allowed his tongue to enter her mouth briefly before pulling back again and running out the door.  
  
//Sail through an empty night  
  
It's only you and I who understand  
  
There is no plan  
  
  
  
Get closer to the thrill  
  
Only time will kill  
  
What's in your eyes  
  
Is so alive //  
  
Dawn walked out the backdoor and saw the vamp biting down hard on the neck of his victim. Her screams were drowned out by the loud music.  
  
"You know," Dawn said nonchalantly, "if mom sees that hicky she'll know what you've been up to."  
  
That vampire looked up at Dawn, a dribble of blood traveling from his mouth down his chin and dripping onto to the floor.  
  
"Slayer," he growled menacingly.  
  
"That would be me," Dawn smirked. "Step on up."  
  
//Adrenaline keeps me in the game  
  
Adrenaline you don't even feel the pain  
  
Wilder than your wildest dreams  
  
When you're going to extremes  
  
It takes adrenaline//  
  
"RUN!" Dawn yelled to the victim as the vampire charged at her. She jumped up and kicked him hard in the chest so that he went flying back quite a few feet. He recovered quickly, got back up, and ran at the young Slayer again.  
  
//Run through the speed of sound  
  
Every thing slows you down  
  
And all color that surrounds you  
  
Are bleeding to the walls  
  
All the things you really need  
  
Just wait to find the speed  
  
Then you will achieve  
  
Escape velocity//  
  
Dawn wasn't quick enough and the vampire hit her in the jaw. She staggered backward and she could feel the throbbing pain in her face. She angrily spun and kicked the vampire with full force.  
  
//Too much is not enough  
  
Nobody gave it up  
  
I'm not the kind  
  
To lay down and die  
  
The vampire flew back once again, this time he did not regain his balance so quickly and he almost immediately felt Dawn's fist connect with his nose and he cried out in pain.  
  
//Adrenaline, keeps me in the game  
  
Adrenaline, you don't even feel the pain  
  
Wilder than your wildest dreams  
  
When you're going to extremes  
  
It takes adrenaline//  
  
Dawn quickly pulled out a stake and thrusted it at the vampire's chest, he dodged it quickly but when he turned around, the stake had plunged into his heart.  
  
//Adrenaline  
  
Screaming out your name  
  
Adrenaline, you don't even feel the pain  
  
Wilder than your wildest dreams  
  
When you're going to extremes  
  
It takes adrenaline  
  
(Adrenaline)//  
  
Dawn pulled the stake out from the vampire's heart and watched him crumble to dust. She smiled at the work she had accomplished.  
  
// You don't even feel the pain  
  
You don't even feel the pain  
  
I'm going to extremes  
  
There is nothing in between  
  
You don't even feel the pain  
  
You don't even feel the pain  
  
You don't even feel the pain  
  
You don't even feel the pain//  
  
Dawn turned around, the feeling of satisfaction she always got after killing some beastie or other. She began to walk back toward the back door of the Bronze when she noticed a very frightened looking, and rather pale Dave standing in front of the entrance.  
  
"What the fuck was that?"  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Please please please review! I'd love to know what you guys think. There's cookies and ice cream if you do... 


	8. Waking

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 8: Waking  
  
David sat nervously on the couch in the Summers' home. Tara brought him a glass of water which shook so furiously in his hands that he had to put down the glass. He hadn't spoken a word since he and Dawn had left the Bronze. She had even had to drive his own car back to her house. He walked dazedly inside and just collapsed onto her couch.  
  
Dawn stood next to Spike in the doorway between the entrance hall and the living room. They both just stared at the young man till Spike broke the silence.  
  
"Maybe he's broken," he said, trying to bring a little levity to the mix.  
  
"I just wanted to go on a date. Just one date. I thought I could be normal for a night, just one night. What was I thinking?"  
  
Spike placed a comforting hand on the girls shoulder. "I know."  
  
She made no response and just stood for a moment before walking over to Dave a kneeling in front of him so that they were at eye level.  
  
"Dave? Are you okay?"  
  
David looked her in the eyes and sighed. "It just can't be real, it just can't be. All these things that we were taught couldn't hurt us, couldn't come out from under our beds and hurt us, it's all a lie."  
  
"Dave, listen to me, I know you're freaked. Believe me I know. But it's important that you don't tell anyone what you saw tonight, okay? No one can know what you saw. Not your mom, not your friends. Do you understand?"  
  
David sighed again and nodded. Dawn smiled at him and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her back and felt a sudden comfort come over his body. He loved having her in his arms. He had known her for years and he always loved having her in his arms.  
  
Dawn released him and stood up. She helped him to his feet and noticed that he had stopped shaking. She smiled at him and thought for a second that she might get lost staring into his bright blue eyes. Suddenly, he seemed to get distracted and he shook his head before looking back up at Dawn.  
  
"Dawn, what happened tonight?"  
  
Dawn sighed, not really sure what to say. It was pretty late and she didn't feel like getting into the book definition of her sacred duties.  
  
"Dave, I'm a vampire Slayer, so is Buffy. Long story short, into every generation one girl is born who is really strong. Like, uber-strong. Uh she alone can fight the vampire and other various demons. Did that make any sense?"  
  
Dave nodded, "I think it did. One thing though, how are you and your sister both Slayers?"  
  
Dawn let out a weak laugh. "That is another story for another day, supposing you want to ever see me again."  
  
Dave walked up to her and took her hands. "I always was to be around you."  
  
Dawn blushed and smiled brightly. She leaned into kiss him when Willow walked into the room, Tara following close behind.  
  
"Is everything okay?" Willow asked.  
  
"Yeah," Davis answered politely. "I'm okay."  
  
Willow smiled sweetly. "Good, because you were not looking so good a few minutes ago."  
  
"I'm better."  
  
"You should get home," Tara told him softly. "We wouldn't want your parents to worry."  
  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
David and Dawn walked hand in hand past Spike over to the door. "Well, goodnight Ms. Summers," he told her half-jokingly. "I had a wonderful night up until the vampires."  
  
Dawn giggled. "I guess we'll have to do it again then."  
  
"I guess we will," David replied as he leaned in to kiss her. As their lips touched, an extreme warmth washed over Dawn, and she felt completely out of herself. When Spike saw them kiss, he was bout to interject until Willow slapped him harshly on the chest and pulled him into the kitchen.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Spike jerked awake, panting unnecessarily; it was more habit than anything else. He felt the tears from him nightmare welling up in his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. Buffy rolled over in bed, obviously awoken by his own sudden awakening. When she heard his quick and rattling breaths, she sat up and looked at him as best she could through her tired eyes.  
  
"Spike? Spike, what's wrong?"  
  
Spike just looked at her and the sight made tears spring back into his eyes and they began to flow slowly. He grabbed her into his arms and held onto her tightly. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed her palms soothingly on his back.  
  
"I had the dream again. God, I hadn't had it in years. But I saw it all like it happened yesterday. God, Buffy-"  
  
Buffy couldn't understand what he was talking about. "Spike, what do you mean? What did you see."  
  
"That night," he sobbed quietly. "That night on the tower."  
  
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~! ~  
  
Spike saw Doc holding the night out in front of Dawn. The dirty bastard.  
  
"Do you know what," the demon taunted. "Just about time."  
  
Dawn looked up and saw Spike pulling himself onto the platform. "Spike!" She called out desperately.  
  
Doc turned around to face Spike. He had a smug smile spread across his seemingly innocent face.  
  
"Doesn't a man stay dead when you him?" Spike asked cockily.  
  
"Look who's talking."  
  
"Come on Doc! Let's you and me have a go."  
  
"I do have a prior appointment," he said, nodding his head and Dawn.  
  
"This won't take long."  
  
"No, I suppose it won't."  
  
Spike went toward the creature and he back at Spike. Like a blur, Doc was suddenly standing behind Spike, and driving the knife into his back. Spike screamed in pain and surprise. Doc pushed him off and Spike turned to face him. They both panted unnecessarily.  
  
"You don't come near the girl, Doc," Spike warned.  
  
"I don't smell a soul anywhere on you. Why do you even care?"  
  
That hurt. That burned Spike like a thousand piercing wounds, that hurt. He didn't why he cared, why he felt the need to protect Dawn so much. He said all that he could think of.  
  
"I made a promise to a lady."  
  
Doc let out was sounded like a short laugh. "Oh."  
  
Suddenly Doc shot his tongue out of his mouth at Spike. The vampire was almost expecting it this time and he dodged it quickly. Before he knew it though, Doc had swept him off his feet and when he stood again, the demon was holding him from behind.  
  
"I'll send the lady your regards," Doc whispered cruelly into Spike's ear. He looked at Dawn, his Nibblet, his girl. That was the first time he had ever thought of her as that. As his anything. That was when he realized his affection for her came from more than the love of her sister, it came from his love for her.  
  
"No-" he whispered, realizing that he had missed his chance, that he couldn't save her now. He felt Doc shove him from the top of the twoer, and he knew he was screaming the whole way down. However, all he could hear was her shreik of fear and disappointment.  
  
The next thing he remembered was getting up, and wondering how long he had been lying on the ground. He walked over to where he could see all the Scoobies assembling. And the he saw it. He saw her body. He saw her lifeless body lying on the pile of rubble, and he cried.  
  
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~! ~  
  
He tried to shake the memory of that horrible night, but it kept replaying in his head. No matter how many times he saved Buffy while he was awake in the nights after he was gone, he saw the same events every night in his sleep. Even after she came back he would see it, but it had been years.  
  
He suddenly had the urge to go check on Dawn. He knew he was being ridiculous but he couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. He got out of bed and walked down the hall to Dawn's room. He opened the door as quietly as he could and saw her sleeping peacefully in her bed. He could faintly hear her heart pounding and her soft breath as her chest rose and fell. He let out a quiet sigh of relief as Buffy came up from behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. His put his arms over her own.  
  
"See, she's fine," Buffy told him as she turned him around. She placed her palmed softly on his bare chest and looked into his eyes. "She's okay. I'm okay."  
  
Spike nodded. "I love you so much, Buffy."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Sometimes I wonder if you do. I wonder if you could even possibly comprehend how much I am in love with you."  
  
Buffy cocked her head. "I really do. Because William, I'm just as in love with you."  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Please please please review! I'd love to know what you guys think. There's cookies and ice cream if you do... 


	9. Big News

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 9: Big News  
  
Dawn sat arbitrarily flipping through one of the large demonology books to make it look as if she were doing something. Giles was running around the store like a madman, trying to keep everything in order. Anya had taken the day off, she needed to go to a doctor's appointment or something; she refused to be more specific than that. Her day off meant Giles was running about like a madman. Between research and running the shop, it seemed like it may have been a bit too much to take on.  
  
"Are you sure?" He called from across the room.  
  
"I'm sure, Rupes," Spike replied, aggravation apparent in his tone. "He said Ayanathla. Seems female, he didn't hand me a bloody picture."  
  
"Your sarcasm is not helpful. Have you ever heard of respecting your elders?"  
  
"I am your elder!" Spike retorted.  
  
Giles was a bit lost for words, being as how Spike was right. "Then bloody act it!"  
  
Spike was about to respond when Dawn spoke up. "HEY! Neither of you are being very helpful here!"  
  
"She's right," Willow chimed in. "If you're just going to bicker, than maybe one of you should leave."  
  
"It's my store."  
  
"Fine," Spike said, "I'll take the sewers then."  
  
"No!" Willow told him. "The point was that you two need to stop. We've been here for hours, I know, I'm feeling like quite the cranky person myself. But we need to get this done just like we've needed to get everything else done. Why don't I go out and get some coffee and snacks and stuff?"  
  
"Yes, please," Buffy moaned. Just as Willow got up and walked over to the door to leave. Just as she reached for the handle, it flew open and Janice walked in.  
  
"Janice?"  
  
"Hey Willow."  
  
"Janice? What are you doing here?" Dawn asked.  
  
Janice just smiled and practically skipped over to the table where Dawn was sitting. She sat down next to her best friend and pulled a random book in front of herself.  
  
"I thought, you know, maybe I could help do research or whatever. I mean, I could help with that thing we saw in the cemetery."  
  
Dawn choked a laugh. "Oh! You mean you want to know how my date with Dave went last night and when I wasn't home you figured I was here."  
  
Janice blushed. "Pretty much."  
  
"Okay. It went, it went nice. It was really nice."  
  
"Did it really?" She asked enthusiastically.  
  
"Oh yeah. It was great, except when he found out about me..."  
  
"He found out?" Janice inquired. "How?"  
  
"He followed me into an alleyway and saw me slay a vampire."  
  
"Oh. So anyway-"  
  
"Anyway, it was really nice."  
  
"So I've been told. Did you guys-"  
  
"Kiss?" Dawn said, finishing Janice's sentence. "Yeah!"  
  
"And..."  
  
"And, it was really nice. I mean, he was really great. So better that kissing a vampire."  
  
To that statement, Spike loudly cleared his throat and gave the girls one of his looks that told them they were talking too much.  
  
"Sorry Spike," Dawn insisted, "I didn't mean any offense."  
  
"L'il Bit, I really don't care what you think of how well vampires kiss. I KNOW that I am in fact a good kisser regardless. I don't even care much if you are kissing someone. But Dawn, love, I bloody don't want to hear about it."  
  
Dawn blushed at the realization of how loud she was speaking. She had to think of a comeback, and fast.  
  
"Yeah, well, there are certain things that I don't want to hear in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! God, I mean, it was so much quieter when you and Buffy were doing it at your crypt."  
  
"DAWN!" Spike and Buffy shouted in unison.  
  
"I should go," Janice insisted. As she got up, she took a look at the store and saw a very aggravated Giles running back and forth. She walked over to him and softly tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Uh, Mr. Giles? Would you maybe like some help? I have a little experience working retail and-"  
  
"YES!" He replied emphatically, not giving her a chance to finish. "I would love some help."  
  
Janice smiled kindly. "I could work the register if you'd like."  
  
Giles nodded happily and Janice walked behind the counter. Dawn got up and walked to the front of the counter in an attempt to avoid further confrontation with her makeshift guardians. She raised her eyebrows at Janice.  
  
"You worked in retail?"  
  
"Yeah. After some of my more serious indiscretions, my mom made me get a job to pay off all the damages. I worked in a clothing store for about six months."  
  
"Cool. I would consider working in retail but uh, no."  
  
The girls laughed as they heard the bell above the door ring again. They turned to see Willow walking in, arms full of goodies from the Espresso Pump. Dawn walked over and grabbed two coffees and two cookies for Janice and herself. Almost a soon as Dawn reached the counter again, the door swung open. Xander entered followed by an absolutely glowing Anya.  
  
"Anya?" Giles questioned. "I thought you-"  
  
"Took the day off? I did. But we have to most wonderful new! I figured you'd all be here. I'm pregnant!"  
  
Cheers of excitement rung though the store at the good news. Everyone got up to hugs the brand new soon-to-be-parents. Questions like "how many months?" and "is it a boy or a girl?" were repeated frantically without response. Everyone hugged the couple and shook their hands in congratulations. Even Spike showed a bit of enthusiasm.  
  
"This is so great!" Dawn exclaimed. "We totally need to do something."  
  
"What about-"  
  
"The demon?" Giles interrupted Spike. "No matter. She'll still be wreaking havoc tomorrow I'm sure. Best to get on with the festivities. Congratulations to you both."  
  
Anya beamed with happiness. "I can't believe! And I'm so glad you'll all be here to celebrate with me. But Giles, one thing, why was Dawn's friend fondling the money?"  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A/n: Uh, sorry this chapter was so short you guys. But I promise promise promise promise, it will pick up after this chapter. Like, REALLY get into the action. Basically I just needed to set up for the upcoming... stuff. :)  
  
Please please please review! I'd love to know what you guys think. There's cookies and ice cream if you do... 


	10. Questions

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/n: Someone asked what song was used in chapter 7, and it's called "Adrenaline" by Gavin Rossdale (a.k.a. my boyfriend when James is busy)  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 10: Questions  
  
The music blasted from the stereo in the living room. Xander and Anya danced happily together, both glowing with excitement. Willow and Tara were busily preparing food and other snacks while Dawn and Buffy were being proper hostesses. Janice had tagged along to join in the festivities, once again leaving Giles, who would be over after the store was closed, alone at the Magic Box.  
  
Spike stood alone by a wall until Dawn walked over to him. "Spike, what's wrong with you? You're borderline brooding over here?"  
  
"Am not!" He insisted. "I just... I've just never been one for the mainstream is all. You should know that, Nibblet."  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes at him and walked back into the party just as Giles walked in the door. He was carrying a few books and a cake box which he placed on the Summers' dining room table and walked into the frenzy. He gave Anya a hug and Xander a congratulatory handshake.  
  
The father-to-be was just beaming with positive energy that seemed to be rubbing Spike the wrong way. He turned from the room, drawing as little attention to himself as possible, and walked upstairs to Buffy's room. No one noticed but the elder Slayer herself, and she followed him moments after.  
  
When she reached her bedroom she saw him sitting sadly on her bed, his hands folded and his eyes focusing on his feet. She knew that he knew she had entered, but he did not respond. She continued to enter quietly and she sat on her bed next to him quietly. He did not change the direction of his gaze. He did however take her hand in his own.  
  
"Hey," she said quietly.  
  
"Hey."  
  
She lifter her free hand and rubbed it sweetly on his back. "Are you okay?"  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"William," she said carefully, placing her hand under his chin and lifting his face so that he was looking at her. It had been almost there dirty little secret that she would call him by his name. It just slipped out one night in all her passion and he continued as if she hadn't. Since then, she would call him that now and then. For whatever reason, sometimes it just felt appropriate.  
  
He sighed unnecessarily and looked into her hazel eyes. He felt like flinching at hearing that name. It was a name, not a name, a person he thought he had left behind. But something about her voice, the way she spoke his true name, it had a comforting entity to it that made it okay.  
  
"I'll never have a child," he told her sadly, looking away from her once again.  
  
"Oh," she breathed, as she gave his hand a squeeze. "I see."  
  
"No, you don't. If you stay with me... WE will never have children."  
  
"That doesn't matter to me."  
  
"It doesn't now," he said, releasing her hand and stand up from the bed. He began to pace as he spoke to her. "You will want children someday. And no matter how much love I have for you, no matter how much love I give to you, I will never give you a child."  
  
"You sound just like Angel," she said standing up. "Always telling me what I want like I don't know. I know what I want, I'm not just some little girl, Spike. I can tell what I want." She paused. "And what I want is you."  
  
"And I want you to be happy."  
  
"I am. I'm happy with you. It took me so long for me to finally see that I would be and now that I am, you're gonna what? Leave? Like every other man I've ever had a serious relationship with did? I thought you were different, Spike. I thought that you-"  
  
He walked to her quickly and grabbed her into his arms. "I'm not going anywhere."  
  
Buffy relaxed into his body and sighed approvingly. She did want him, right? Yes. She knew she did. She knew how much she loved him. She felt it in every part of her. But was he completely wrong?  
  
No.  
  
She questioned their relationship all the time. Almost everyday in fact. Was it right to be with a vampire, being as how she was the Slayer? No. She knew it. But she couldn't care less. She loved him.  
  
Then there was the question of children. Buffy did wonder every now and then. But she couldn't seem to get that far. She had already died twice and could very easily die again... soon. Not to be morbid, but she knew that it was true. What she decided was important to her was living every day to the fullest. And she knew, she knew in her gut, she knew in her heart, and she knew in her soul that being with Spike meant living every day to the fullest.  
  
He let go of her after a few moments and Buffy took a step back so that she could look at him, really look at him.  
  
He seemed different. Not in any physical way that she could think of or see, just as a whole person, he seemed different. Buffy smiled warmly and ran her fingers through his hair. She pulled her hand back and cocked her head slightly.  
  
"Your roots are growing in."  
  
She turned around and left the room. He followed her downstairs where Willow was bringing out the cake that Giles had brought. It had white frosting and blue and pink flowers with purple writing that said "Congratulations" on it. Anya smiled enthusiastically and picked up her glass of water which had been sitting on the coffee table.  
  
Spike walked over to Giles and tapped him on the shoulder. "So, I suppose we're gonna be checking out the facts on this 'Ayanathla' tomorrow then, ay?"  
  
Giles was about to answer when he was interrupted by the sound of smashing glass. Everyone looked at Anya, her face completely drained of color.  
  
"No," she gasped, and fainted into her husbands arms.  
  
  
  
TBC.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Oh won't you please review my fic? I love to know what you guys think. 


	11. Answers

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APACOLYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 11: Answers  
  
Xander's heart was pounding furiously in his chest as he held his wife's head in his lap. His hands shook while he was softly patting the damp cloth that Willow had retrieved all over Anya's almost colorless face. He thought he would pass out with relief when her eyes fluttered open and she focused on him.  
  
"Anya? Honey, are you alright?" He asked as he lifted her up and embraced her tightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged back. She felt so disoriented and wasn't really sure what had happened until it came to her.  
  
"Ayanathla!" She suddenly shouted. "Where is she?"  
  
Xander looked puzzled. "Who?"  
  
"Anyanathla," Spike answered knowingly. "Demon or whatever that that Fyarl was serving the other night."  
  
"Not a demon," Anya mumbled, fear and sadness in her voice.  
  
"You've heard of, uh, her?" Giles asked.  
  
"I knew her."  
  
"I take it she wasn't the nicest of people?" Willow added, seeing as how Anya had fainted at the mention of her.  
  
"She was though, then everything changed. Everything went wrong. So many people died. We will die," Anya told the Scoobies sadly, placing her hand gently over her stomach.  
  
"What? No one is going to die," Buffy insisted. "Anya, please, what is going on?"  
  
"It seems like only yesterday it happened, it was so horrible. So many people were lost stopping her. She wasn't even really stopped."  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*! *!*!*!*  
  
England, 1563  
  
"Blessed be," chanted the sisters of the Meishta coven. There was a sing- song sound to their chants and prayers and they always seemed to end on a good note.  
  
Yana stood from the place where she had been kneeling, and politely nodded her head at her sisters. It was late and she figured it best to hurry home to her family. Her husband and two young children might be worrying and she wanted to avoid conflict and unnecessary interrogation concerning her whereabouts.  
  
She slipped out of the meeting quietly and hurried home. The door was open a crack and she thought it strange but figured that her four year old daughter Lizabeth had probably just been making mischief and her father did not notice. She walked inside to a dark house, all the candles had been blown out. It was unlike John not to wait up for her though she insisted that he not.  
  
Yana continued to walk into her home and she tripped over a toy that belonged to her two year old son, Michael. She rolled her eyes and moved it out of the way. She found a candle and lit it. What she saw when the flame was bright enough made her think that her heart would beat out of her chest. Tables and chairs had been overturned and there was broken glass everywhere. Drawers were pulled out of their places and when she turned to look for more damage she could see that the door to the washroom was ajar.  
  
As she walked closer her heart began to beat faster and faster until she could feel it pounding in her chest and stomach and throat. She pulled back the door all the way and shrieked in horror at what she saw.  
  
John was laying face down on the floor in a puddle of blood. His throat had been slit and his eyes were wide open as if he were still staring in horror at his murderer. Yana knelt down by his side, not caring about the fact that her long layered skirt was now drenched in blood.  
  
She placed her hand gently on his face which was cold and pale. How could this happen? She thought. She closed his eyes carefully and leaned over and kissed his smooth cheek. It was then that she noticed the washtub was full and there were puddles of water all around the edge. She got up apprehensively and walked to the side of the tub.  
  
Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw next.  
  
Lizabeth and Michael were laying below the water, still and dead. Their faces and bodies were a bright blue, their little fingers intertwined. Yana felt all the feeling in her body melt away as she left the washroom.  
  
It took her a minute to find what she was looking for but she did find it and she reentered the washroom, a large wool blanket in her arms. The witch stepped callously over her husband's body and placed the blanket on the ground. Carefully, she lifted each of her children out of the tub and placed them on the blanket. She wrapped the blanket tightly around their lifeless bodies and pulled the small bundles to her chest.  
  
"There now," she cooed. "Nice and warm."  
  
She rocked back and forth with them in her arms for hours until she noticed light entering below the crack of the washroom door. Carefully, without putting down her children, she stood and walked into the main room of her house. She placed the little ones down on their bed and she turned to face the center of the room.  
  
"Ankyank!" She cried. "Come to me! I summon thee for vengeance ye shall wreak! Come to me! COME TO ME!"  
  
With a puff of smoke Anyanka appeared elegantly in the house. She smiled at the sight of her friend. When she saw how pale and terrible she looked, worry conquered her happiness.  
  
"Yana? You look terrible."  
  
"Who did this?" Yana asked, pointing at the bed.  
  
Anyanka looked puzzled. "Who did wha- oh my god," she gasped, at a loss for words. "I- what happened?"  
  
"I found them, drowned in the washtub. John lays slain on the floor, so tell me, who did this?"  
  
The demon's eyes filled with tears at the sight of the dead children. She turned back to the witch who's eyes were flaring with anger and hatred.  
  
"Oh Yana, there's no way I can know," she said, looking around the house. From what she could tell all the good silver was missing as well as the more expensive linens. "I think it was just men stealing from your home."  
  
Yana nodded and walked toward the door. Anyanka quickly grabbed her arm. "What are you doing."  
  
"They will pay," Yana answered.  
  
"No!" Anyanka insisted. "Let me, let me make them pay, it's what I do."  
  
"No," she insisted, shaking her friend's hold on her. She walked to the door when she was interrupted again by Anyanka's voice.  
  
"Yana!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
And with that Yana psychically threw the demon across the room so that she hit her hell and fell unconscious.  
  
Completely oblivious to the world around her, Yana stormed to the underground place where her sisters would meet and pray. Many were already there for the morning prayers that Yana did not attend. When she was seen by her sisters, a look of worry spread across all of their faces.  
  
Lea walked over to Yana and placed a concerned hand gently on her sister's elbow.  
  
"Yana?"  
  
"Mortate," Yana mumbled and her friend dropped dead at her feet.  
  
The some of the other sister's screamed in shock and other just gaped in horror. Many ran at her or tried to stop her but her magic was just too powerful.  
  
"There is no good in this place," she repeated as she walked to where the dark magic books were kept. She pulled the book of DARKEST MAJICKS off the shelf and absorbed the energy and power from it.  
  
Any color left her face was completely drained and her beautiful blonde hair turned black. She transported from the room and left her sisters in a stunned and horrified silence.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
It took about half an hour for all the sisters of the coven to gather underground. They all had looks of extreme worry on their faces and some of them were even tearful at what they considered the loss of two sisters.  
  
"We have to stop her!" Someone shout out from the crowd of women.  
  
"I know," Maya, the head of the coven said above the rest. "We're working on a way to bind her powers."  
  
"I don't see why we just can't kill her," Lea's sister Malina mumbled.  
  
"Because it is not our way," Maya answered softly. Before long she was instructing her sisters on what they must do to accomplish the spell. Yana had always been more powerful then the rest and they all knew it. However, she had never lost control.  
  
The sisters all agreed that they would do what was necessary to stop Yana, no matter how dire the consequences may be.  
  
  
  
Yana stood atop a hill looking over the town she had grown in. It seemed so small from where she was now. Not the hill, she had been up there before in her youth, but her rather her place in the world. She was above the lower beings now, she knew she no longer truly belonged on the mortal plain.  
  
She figured she would call herself Ayanathla instead, Yana meant nothing to her now. Ayanathla to her meant power, and Yana to her meant loss.  
  
She summoned all the power from within herself that she would need. "Destroy the good," she chanted to herself, "destroy the good."  
  
Before she knew what was happening, she felt her world begin to spin. She felt like all the air had been sucked from her lungs and her knees could barely hold her own weight. She realized what was happening and let out a shriek to challenge the banshees as she was locked in her underground prison.  
  
Back in the gathering place of the coven, all that was left were ashes.  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Sorry that took so long to update, I have had an unbelievable amoutn a schoolwork. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up sooner.  
  
Anyway, please review!!! :-) 


	12. Not So Evil

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APACOLYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 12: Not So Evil  
  
There was silence amongst the guests at the Summers' house. The things they had just heard were horrifying, truly and utterly terrible. It was only a matter of time, however, before the interrogation began.  
  
Dawn spoke first. "So, they all just died? Was it- did Ayanathla kill them?"  
  
"No, she would have eventually, she intended to kill all the good on earth. What killed them was the energy they needed to channel through thtemselves in order to bind her, it was so powerful that it incinerated them," Anya said sadly. "That's what happens when someone allows themselves to get out of control with their magic," she added.  
  
The last comment caused Tara to squeeze Willow's hand tightly. She could practically read her lover's mind of the horrible thoughts that were going through her head. Her face was saying it: What if that were me?  
  
"So, what does this mean, exactly?" Buffy asked. "Now that she's trying to reemerge."  
  
Anya sighed heavily. "My best guess would be to finish what she started."  
  
"So an apocalypse?" Buffy questioned rhetorically. "Another?"  
  
"Yes," the ex-demon answered simply.  
  
"But she's human?" Dawn inquired, "so we can't kill her?"  
  
"She's beyond humanity. The magicks she absorbed changed her, made her different, made her not-so-human. I guess a sorceress if you will."  
  
"So she's a sorceress trying to end the world. Well at least we know what we're dealing with," Buffy stated.  
  
Janice turned to Dawn and quietly asked if she could stay the night.  
  
"Of course," Dawn replied. "I suppose it's not everyday that you find out about the impending apocalypse huh? Unless you're one of us I guess."  
  
Janice smiled weakly. "I'm just gonna call my mom," she said as she turned and left for the kitchen.  
  
After about fifteen minutes and she didn't come back, Willow got up and went in to check on the teen. She found her in the kitchen, sitting on one of the stools with her head in her hands.  
  
"Janice?"  
  
The girl's head shot up and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh, hey Willow," she said, obviously embarrassed about being caught crying.  
  
"Hey, were you crying?"  
  
That made it a world worse. "Uh..."  
  
"It's okay, don't feel bad. I get it if you're scared or whatever."  
  
Janice laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah well, apocalypse and all, I mean, it's kind of... wow."  
  
Willow smiled. "Yeah, we've faced quite a few actually. It's amazing that we've gone this long without one."  
  
Janice cocked her head. "Really?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I think we've faced like, eight? Buffy's even died twice."  
  
"You're kidding, right?"  
  
"Not at all. But I mean, look, we're all here. We're apocalypse experts. Kinda like the Ghostbusters, except, we don't have a fire truck. Or matching outfits."  
  
Janice laughed. "Good, because I don't look great in beige."  
  
"Felling any better?" Willow asked.  
  
"Yeah, you know what, I am. Thanks," she said and Willow gave her a tight squeeze.  
  
"It's what I do."  
  
Willow released her and they both walked back into the living room where the conversation had picked up a bit. They had seemed to have changed the subject, probably just to get off such a morbid topic on an evening that should be a happy occasion.  
  
Once again Spike left the party, this time, however, politely excusing himself first. Once he said his last congratulations he turned and ran up the stairs. No one seemed to think anything of it, except strangely enough, Xander.  
  
After asking for the thousandth time if his wife was okay, he left the living room and ran upstairs where he expected to find Spike moping in Buffy's bedroom. However, he found him lingering in front of the mirror in the bathroom, staring at his lack of reflection.  
  
"Maybe it's broken," Xander joked, but Spike made no response. He just continued to stare at the mirror, which now reflected only Xander.  
  
"Spike?"  
  
"I'm thinking about letting my hair grow out," Spike told the carpenter randomly.  
  
"What?" Xander asked, unsure of where the new topic had come from.  
  
"I think I'm going to stop dying my hair."  
  
Xander chuckled. "But Spike, it's so a part of your sinister attraction."  
  
"Well maybe I don't want to be sinister," Spike said, turning around and revealing to Xander that he was holding the bottle of peroxide which he used to dye his hair.  
  
"What do you mean?" Xander question, furrowing his brow.  
  
Spike grimaced and rolled his eyes. "Maybe I don't want to be evil."  
  
Xander was completely taken aback by that comment. Spike not wanting to be evil? That was a new one. He knew Spike was full of fun surprising but her never expected to hear something like that. Then it occurred to him.  
  
"Does this have to do with this new demon or whatever, Ayanathla?"  
  
"No. Yes. Sort of. It's just that..." he sighed "if this new bird were to kill all the good on the earth, and I wasn't considered that, good I mean, and Buffy and Dawn were to... you know. I just, I'd rather be dead than not have them. And I realized that recently, how much they really do mean to me. I always knew I loved them and cared about them but now they're a part of my life and having that taken away from me, I wouldn't be able to do it. I just..."  
  
Spike stopped mid-sentence when he realized who he was talking to. Who he was sharing his feeling and fears with. But unlike he imagined he would, Xander was just listening respectfully.  
  
"I just don't want to be evil."  
  
Xander nodded and frowned thoughtfully. "Well, from what I've been told, you sort of have a soul now and-"  
  
"Having a soul doesn't make me a good person, Xander," Spike interrupted. "Having a soul doesn't make me a man."  
  
Xander sighed heavily. "Look, if there's one thing I've learned from living in Sunnydale, it's that you can't be so quick to judge another person. So Spike, maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge yourself."  
  
And with that, Xander turned and left Spike alone in the bathroom.  
  
Spike turned back to the mirror where for a second, he swore that he had seen his reflection. He shook his head, knowing that that wasn't possible as he opened the bottle of bleach and poured the remainder down the drain.  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Okay you guys, once again I'm going to shamelessly plead for reviews so here goes: Please please please review. Many reviews makes for a happy writer. And a happy writer makes for a fast writer! 


	13. Trust

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A/n: Hey everyone, since I've been itching to give a small rant about "Beneath You," I figured this was as good a place as any (yes I realize it has nothing to do with my fic). Anyway, it was AMAZING. I mean, phenomenal is an understatement. It was just so well written and what can you say about Douglas Petrie? I though "Fool For Love" couldn't be topped. I loved the way Spike portrayed and how he was finally able to tell Buffy how he felt and what he was going through. JUST TOO GOOD! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APACOLYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 13: Trust  
  
Buffy hugged Anya tightly as they stood by the door about to leave. It was one in the morning and everyone decided that it was about time the party turned brood-fest ended for the time being.  
  
"If you need anything, I mean ANYTHING, you just call, okay?" Buffy told her friend with concern.  
  
Anya pulled back and smiled warmly before walking out the door. She was followed by Xander who shot Spike a quick glance and the vampire nodded thankfully in response. Xander smirked to himself at the fact that he and Spike were actually getting along.  
  
Buffy closed the door behind the few people who did not live in her house and leaned her back against it. She closed her eyes and sighed loudly. Spike walked up to her and wrapped his muscular arms around his lover's body.  
  
"You okay?" He asked.  
  
"Mmm," Buffy moaned in response, allowing her body to lean into his. "I am now."  
  
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. His beautifully deep blue eyes were sparkling with nothing but love for her. She put her hands on the sides of his face and pulled his lips onto hers.  
  
She had no question in her mind of how much she loved him.  
  
They continued to kiss at the base of the stairs till Dawn made a gagging noise from above them. Janice covered her mouth to conceal a giggle but it made no difference, her laughter burst out of her and Buffy's face reddened.  
  
Spike grimaced at the girls. "Do you mind."  
  
"Actually... no," Dawn replied which only caused Janice to laugh harder.  
  
"Don't you two have a chick-flick or some such rot to watch? Go braid hair or something."  
  
Dawn merely smiled and stuck out her tongue as she left where she stood at the top of the stairs. Janice followed her, still laughing hysterically.  
  
"You know, in my day, I would have been beaten bloody for what they just did."  
  
"Yes, but in your day tweed was worn by all men as opposed to stuffy librarians."  
  
Spike gave Buffy a little shove and she laughed at him. Her laughter put a smile on his face as he grabbed her and kissed her neck.  
  
"We should get out of here," he whispered into her ear.  
  
"What?" Buffy asked, pulling back and furrowing her brow.  
  
"We should go out. Dance, kill stuff, whatever, relieve the tension and all that."  
  
Buffy smiled seductively. "You know, we haven't fought in a while."  
  
"What type of fighting do you mean, love?"  
  
"The real kind," Buffy told him rolling her eyes. "We do the other kind all the time."  
  
"So what of it then?" Spike questioned. "You wanna fight me."  
  
Buffy nodded.  
  
"You won't win, never could" Spike stated surely.  
  
Buffy's jaw dropped as she took a step back, obviously offended. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Not since the first time we fought."  
  
"I was a beginner then. I didn't even have a fraction of the power I have now."  
  
"You've taken me on since, you can't beat me," Spike told her mockingly.  
  
"Oh can't I?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Then let's do it."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Yeah. We'll go to the Magic Box, use the back training room."  
  
"Right, then."  
  
"Let's go."  
  
"Fine," Spike said, opening the door for Buffy. "But you know you can't take me, Slayer."  
  
Buffy smiled as she passed him. "Why would I need to Spike? I've already got you."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Spike stood barefoot and shirtless across from his lover. Buffy stood, staring at him and grinning barefoot and in her training clothes. He cocked his head at her smirked conceitedly.  
  
"You ready, Slayer?"  
  
"Always," she said coolly and she ran at him full force. She thrust her fist at him which he grabbed and twisted so that her whole body turned and she had her back facing him. Spike pushed the eldest slayer off and she stumbled forward. As she did, she threw out her legs behind her and kicked him hard in the chest. He flew backward and landed on his back. He stood again quickly and charged his lover.  
  
It continued like this for hours that felt like brief moments to the couple. Every now and then their sparring would become passionate kissing that would once again become sparring.  
  
It came to a point where Buffy and Spike were standing across from one another, both panting with exhaustion and exhilaration, though for Spike it was only habit.  
  
"You ready to give up?" Spike asked cockily.  
  
"Never," Buffy retorted. Once again she ran at him and kicked him hard in the stomach. He fell onto his back and she quickly grabbed a stake from off the floor; she straddled him and held the stake over his heart.  
  
Spike smiled. "What are you gonna do, pet?"  
  
Buffy titled her head. "Do you trust me?"  
  
"Well, you're holding a stake to my chest at the moment, love, so I suppose it would be wise to-"  
  
"Answer me," she told him. "Do you trust me?"  
  
Spike's face became serious, as he appeared to be pondering the question. Before Buffy knew what had happened, the vampire had flipped her over so that he now straddled her hips. She made an attempt to struggle against his hold on her arms but he just tightened his grip. He leaned in and kissed her neck tenderly, then moved his head so his lips were by her ear.  
  
"What did I tell you, Slayer? Lesson the second, ask the right questions."  
  
He straightened up and looked into her eyes. "What it wrong, then?" She asked. "What should I be asking?"  
  
"You needn't worry, Buffy," he told her gently. "It isn't a matter of trust when ito comes to you and me. I love you to much not to."  
  
She smiled. "God, I'm drowning in you, William, I'm drowning in you," she said as she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a warm kiss. They kissed for a few moments before she began to reach for his belt buckle.  
  
Buffy suddenly became extremely nauseous and she covered her mouth in order to keep from puking all over Spike. She stood up quickly which knocked Spike off of her as she ran to the bathroom. His sensitive vampire hearing could pick up the gagging sounds coming from the bathroom at the Magic Box.  
  
The blonde stood and walked to the door of where Buffy was throwing up furiously inside. He leaned against the door and put his ear up to it.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
At that moment he heard the toilet flush and the water in the sink run. Buffy came out with her cheeks flushed and her eyes bloodshot and teary. She made a weak moaning noise.  
  
"You alright, love?"  
  
She shook her head. "Let's just go home."  
  
Spike nodded in agreement and they walked toward the door of the shop. The sun was soon to rise anyway.  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Please review!!! Remember: many reviews makes for a fast writer ;). 


	14. Sick

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 14: Sick  
  
Buffy and Spike walked hurriedly through the front door just as they beat the sun by minutes. Buffy removed her arm from around Spike's shoulder which she had been leaning on the whole way home. They had had to stop twice so that Buffy could run to the garbage can on the corner of the street and throw up again.  
  
At the sound of the door closing behind them, Spike could hear Dawn's feet patting her way to the top of the stairs.  
  
"Where were you guys? You just left without saying anything."  
  
"We were sparring," Buffy answered queasily. "Sorry we left so abruptly."  
  
Dawn cocked an eyebrow. "So that's what your calling it now."  
  
Buffy was about to make a retort when Spike beat her to the disciplining part. "Listen, and listen good, Dawn. I'll have no more cheek from you. Your sister AND I work very hard to take of you and it's about bloody time you showed some respect."  
  
"Geez," Dawn whined, a bit taken aback from the harshness in his tone, "take a joke."  
  
At that moment, Buffy covered here mouth as any color left in her face drained. She ran up the stairs past Dawn, almost knocking the youngest slayer over. The bathroom dorr slammed and Dawn looked at Spike with concern in her eyes.  
  
"Spike?"  
  
"She's sick, been doin' that about every fifteen minutes. Poor thing."  
  
The vampire walked up the stairs and to the bathroom door where he knocked and entered cautiously. Dawn sulked back to her room guilty. Janice was sitting up in her sleeping bag.  
  
"Are they back?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Where'd they go?"  
  
"Magic Box. They were training. Apparently Buffy got pretty sick so..."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Dawn walked back over to her bed and they sat in silence for a few moments before she jumped up again and walked to her door.  
  
"I'll be right back."  
  
She walked down the hall to Buffy's room where Spike was carefully placing Buffy in their- her bed, Dawn mentally checked herself. She wasn't sure why they didn't consider it "theirs," or at least it was never called that.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said softly from the doorway.  
  
Spike and Buffy both turned their attention toward the slayer and Buffy smiled kindly. "Don't worry bout it, Dawnie."  
  
"No, Buffy, I worry. Spike is right. You guys give me what I need to live the normalest life I can I should appreciate it more. I never appreciated mom the way I should have, then it was too late..."  
  
Dawn stopped before the tears. The last things she wanted was to break down feeling sorry for herself was Buffy was pretty much vomiting every vital organ she had out. But Spike could see, even without the tears, how much the mention of her mother hurt Dawn. He kissed Buffy's hand and she nodded and Spike tended to the littlest Summers. He opened his arms to her and embraced her tightly. She tried her very best not to cry but it was no use, the tears began to flow like salty rivers from her eyes as she cried furiously into Spike's chest.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was just after two, Janice was still over and all the Scoobies had managed to find their way back to the Summers' house without being called. Neither Dawn nor Buffy minded, they always enjoyed the company of good friends.  
  
Buffy sat on the couch sipping on a glass of ginger ale and nibbling on saltines. Anya looked at her quizzically.  
  
"What?" Buffy asked, more annoyance in her voice than she would have liked to let out.  
  
"Do you think it's morning sickness?" Anya asked seriously.  
  
Buffy stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter, soon followed by the others.  
  
"I'm serious," Anya whined. "Maybe my morning sickness has inadvertently caused you to be sick. It's been known to happen between friends and relatives."  
  
"Honey, I think you've been reading a little too much Dr. Spock," Xander chuckled.  
  
Anya narrowed her eyes. "Fine, don't listen to me."  
  
Dawn looked at the clock and suddenly gasped which startled everyone in the room.  
  
"Omigod," she said anxiously. "Dave is gonna be here at three."  
  
"What?" Buffy and Spike asked in unison.  
  
"Remember? We're going to the movies."  
  
"You so are not," Buffy told her. "First of all, it's a school night-"  
  
"It's three in the afternoon!" Dawn protested.  
  
"Not the point. Second-"  
  
"Second you were supposed to train with me tonight," Giles interrupted.  
  
"This is so not fair," Dawn pleaded.  
  
"Dawn, we let you off the hook on Friday, you should have thought of that before you made a date for today," Buffy told her as calmly as she could.  
  
"But I really wanna go!"  
  
Buffy sighed. "No."  
  
Dawn made an annoyed growling noise and she stalked up to her room. Janice followed her to her room.  
  
"I think I'm gonna just head home."  
  
Dawn nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow."  
  
Janice grabbed her stuff and ran back down the stairs. She thanked Buffy for letting her stay over and left to walk home. The gang chatted for a while after Janice had left but the conversation eventually became dry and the inevitable came up.  
  
"So what are we gonna do about this apocalypse?" Buffy asked bluntly.  
  
"Die, mostly," Anya said somberly. "The powers that the coven had to harness and channel just to bind her were tremendous and there's no one here who could do that. Well, not anymore." Anya shot a look at Willow.  
  
"You guys, I'll do whatever I have to do. Even if it means..."  
  
"No!" Tara stated strongly. "I WILL NOT allow you to put yourself in that position. Not again."  
  
"Tara-"  
  
"She right, Will," Buffy said. "I don't want you doing anything that will put yourself in danger."  
  
"And I don't want people telling mw what I can and cannot do! I will do what HAS TO BE done. Nothing more, nothing less."  
  
Buffy could see protest forming on Tara's lips but she shook her head to quiet her.  
  
"Okay Will," Buffy said plainly, and she changed the subject abruptly. "Now, in terms of alternative tactics-"  
  
"Shouldn't the Bit be here for this sort of conversation?" Spike asked.  
  
"Your right I'll go get her."  
  
"No Buffy, you relax, I'll run up."  
  
"Thanks, Tara."  
  
The witch nodded and smiled as she turned and left the room. She walked lightly up the stairs to the youngest slayer's room. She opened the door to see Dawn working on her homework.  
  
"Hey Sweetie, we're talking about this new baddie and we figured that you should partake in the conversation."  
  
Dawn slammed her pencil down angrily on her notebook and she looked up at Tara. "You know, since I'm probably gonna die before I'm twenty, I don't see the point in my doing ANY of this. You'd think I'd be allowed to like, enjoy what little of my life I'll probably had. But no, from Buffy all I here about is school. Giles does not get off my back about the training. And Spike? God, don't even get me started on Spike and his issues with me dating. It's like my life belongs to all these other people and I never even have any time to myself just to god damn BREATHE!"  
  
Tara sighed in response to the young slayer's rant. She was right. Tara had seen the way Dawn had been being pushed around by her superiors. Her heart went out to the teen but the wicca knew none of them were completely wrong.  
  
"I know how hard it is, Dawnie. I can see the amount of pressure that's being put on you; it's practically radiating off of your aura. But here's the thing, Buffy wants you to do your homework because it's just something that we all had to do. Giles is making you train because, again, it's important. Having to save the world is something that you can't do unprepared and Giles just wants you to be ready. Plus it's his job. And Spike, all he's doing is caring about you. He worries and all he wants is the best for you and with Spike it just comes through as anxiety. So you have to understand, no one is putting this pressure on you just to make your life more difficult than it already is. They all do it because they care."  
  
Dawn slumped back into her chair and pouted. "I hate it when you're right."  
  
Tara smiled at Dawn. "Come on, let's go downstairs. They're waiting."  
  
Dawn nodded and followed Tara out of her room. They came downstairs to where the gang seemed to be eagerly waiting. Dawn sat down wordlessly in the empty armchair across from Buffy and crossed her arms defiantly at her sister.  
  
"Hey Dawnie, how's the homework sitch?"  
  
Dawn opened her mouth to snap at her sister but Tara pleaded the teen with her eyes to just not.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Good, then we can get on with it. Okay, so here's what we know, evil sorceress thingy from four hundred years ago wants to destroy the earth. She tried once and fail because a very powerful coven binded her and in the process they all died." Buffy took a breath. "Is that everything?"  
  
"That's it," Anya confirmed. "You've just taken a long and horrible tragedy and summed it up into a nice little nutshell... good job."  
  
Buffy smiled sarcastically and sighed. "It's what I do."  
  
"So what does this mean?" Spike asked. "What does she think she will accomplish by killing all the good on earth?"  
  
"No one knows, really. She was just so angry. I mean, the look in her eyes, it was just, hatred and darkness..." Anya trailed off and looked as if she might tear up again.  
  
""It's okay," Buffy told her, placing a comforting hand on her knee. "You don't need to tell us anymore."  
  
Anya nodded and relaxed against Xander's body. He had been sitting next to her and holding her but it was the first time since they had gotten there that he had felt her body simply relax. He put his hand softly on her stomach where their baby was growing inside of her. He sighed with happiness because despite the horrible thing that were going on, he was going to be a father.  
  
And the next thing he knew, his wife was gone.  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Muahahahahahaha! What a great way to end the chapter huh? LOL... well, not that I'm pushing or anything, but reviews wouldn't hurt in making the next chapter come faster. :) 


	15. Worry

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 15: Worry  
  
Anya felt as if she was melting as her husband placed his hand sweetly on her stomach. He always could do that. How was it that Xander always made her feel like she was important and loved? She sighed heavily and closed her eyes as a sudden sinking felling went through her. She assumed it was just from her comfort and tiredness due to lack of sleep, but when she was suddenly on her feet and she opened her eyes. The ex-demon gasped at what she saw.  
  
"It's you."  
  
Ayanathla smiled. "Is that how you greet and old friend?"  
  
"We are NOT friends."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"YANA was my friend, I don't even know what you are."  
  
"Oh don't you?" The sorceress asked, smiling wickedly.  
  
"All I know is that Yana was one of the most loving, selfless people I had ever had the great honor to meet. You are a heartless bitch who murdered your sisters and countless others died to protect the world from you."  
  
"You should be careful when speaking to me, Anyanka, I'd think that you'd be frightened."  
  
"I am not afraid of you," Anya spat sharply. Who was this woman? She thought. Why would it be allowed to happen that Yana could become this... monster.  
  
"What do you want from me?"  
  
Anyanathla smiled. "What? You mean you don't know? I wasn't invited to the wedding. You hurt my feelings."  
  
"How did you-"  
  
"Know? I know everything that goes on with you. I can peep in from time to time, get glimpses of your life. Of all the things I've missed since I've been trapped down here."  
  
"You've been spying on me," Anya recapitulated, the fear that she knew was there finally setting in.  
  
"If you'd like to put it that way, yes, I have."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Oh, Anyanka, you were the most ruthless vengeance demon alive. You're name was legendary. And now what are you? Some housewife to a carpenter? You could be so much more that some meaningless man's woman, isn't that what you'd rather have?"  
  
Anya considered the question. WAS that all she had become, some guy's wife? No, she told herself. It was so much more.  
  
Anya placed her hand defensively over her stomach and looked Ayanathla in the eyes. "I would rather be loved."  
  
The sorceress sighed and waved her hand nonchalantly at the ex-demon. "As you wish."  
  
Suddenly Anya felt as if she had once again been swept off her feet and that sinking feeling in her stomach returned. She landed hard on a carpeted floor that took her a minute to recognize. It was her bedroom. Hers and Xander's. The room she shared with the man she loved more than anything in the world. The thought of him, and the full, rich, enchanting feelings that he gave to her made her fell like she could do nothing but cry.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was almost nine o'clock at night and it had been hours since Anya had disappeared into thin air. The Scoobies were beyond wigged and Xander was having serious panic attacks. His breathing was hard and rattling as he feared for his wife's safety. Dawn and Giles were at the Magic Box in case she showed up their and Spike had walked in minutes before saying that there was no trace of Anya in the local haunts or cemetery. Just as Buffy was about to go out and do another sweep the phone rang. Xander ran to it eagerly.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Anya was attempting to speak to him through choking sobs. She had never been so happy to hear his voice in her entire life.  
  
"Oh god, Ahn, what happened to you?"  
  
"She-sob-teleported me-sob-to where she's-sob-being bound."  
  
"Oh, honey, you were there for hours, did she hurt you?"  
  
The noise from the other end of the line suddenly stopped as Anya asked a simple question. "Hours?"  
  
"Yeah," Xander answered plainly.  
  
"That's not possible, I was there for minutes... oh."  
  
"Oh? What oh?"  
  
"She's on different dimensional time. Xander, she's been down there for thousands of years."  
  
"Okay, Ahn, I hope I'm not being too callous when I say 'so'? I mean, I'm not really worrying about her right now."  
  
Anya took in what he said and began to wonder why it was that SHE cared. This wasn't Yana, this wasn't the woman she had known and cared about. This was a monster, she was getting what she deserved.  
  
"You're right."  
  
"Okay. Anya, where are you?"  
  
The ex-demon took a moment to look around at their room. It was a room that they had shared for four years. She leaned heavily against the bed that they and conceived their child in and sighed.  
  
"I'm at home."  
  
"Home? Okay, okay. I'll be there in fifteen minutes, alright? You just stay put."  
  
Anya nodded absently into the phone and hung up, not considering the fact that this would cause Xander to flip beyond the point of flippage that he was already at. He jumped up and ran to the door; he was interrupted by Spike.  
  
"Xander!"  
  
"What!?"  
  
Spike picked up the carpenter's keys and jingled them in his face. Xander rolled his eyes, grabbed the keys from Spike who followed as he ran out the door.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After about ten minutes, Xander, Spike and Buffy had somehow made it to Xander's apartment. They flew threw the door and to the bedroom where Anya sat on the floor. She was sitting with her back against the bed and her head between her knees. Every time she choked another sob her entire body shook.  
  
Xander knelt down by his wife and put his arms around her. He held her tenderly as she cried into his chest.  
  
"God, Ahn, are you okay?"  
  
Anya contemplated the question. Physically, she was fine. She wasn't injured; Ayanathla hadn't touched her. But on the inside she ached all over. She felt like she was suffocated. It was as if the conflicting feelings inside of her were all battling with each other. She knew that they all wanted what was best for her, but it was killing her inside. And worst of all, there was no one who would understand.  
  
"Yeah," Anya said, pulling back from her husband a bit and wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm fine."  
  
"You sure?" Spike asked to everyone's shock.  
  
"Hey!" Xander spat at the vampire. He then turned to Anya. "Are you sure?"  
  
Anya nodded, lying to her friends. She shot Spike a look that told him not to say anything and he merely raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
Xander helped Anya to her feet and immediately hugged her again. "God Anya, the more I worry the more a realize how much I love you."  
  
Anya placed a sweet kiss on her husband's lips. "Good, because we are going to have a lot to worry about."  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Please review you guys! There kittens and lollipops if you do... 


	16. Around Those You Love

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 16: Around Those You Love  
  
Dawn stepped out of her shower and walked briskly to her room. Everyone was downstairs waiting. Amazingly everyone had once again ended up at the Summers' residence again. But this time, Dave was coming.  
  
Dawn jumped into a cute 'just-laying-around-the-house' sort of outfit and pulled her long, wet hair into a loose bun on top of her head. She sighed happily as she reapplied her lip gloss. The young slayer then checked herself as she guiltily looked back into the mirror at her reflection. She shouldn't be happy; she was facing an apocalypse.  
  
But I can't help it, she thought. I'm truly, truly surrounded by everyone I love.  
  
And it was true. She now had her own Scoobies to contribute to the dynamic. She knew she could die in a day, but she was surrounded by everyone that she loved.  
  
Dawn left her room and practically skipped down the stairs to where the gang, now including her best friend and boyfriend sat. Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend, she thought to herself. I like the sound of that.  
  
Janice and David had been talking to one another but when he saw Dawn the young man stood and she walked to him. They kissed each other sweetly. Janice stifled a happy giggle for her friend and Spike cleared his throat loudly. Dawn chose wisely to ignore him.  
  
When they finally pulled away from one another, Dawn interlaced her fingers in Dave's. "I'm really, really glad you came."  
  
"Yeah? Me too."  
  
"So, the whole apocalypse thing doesn't completely freak you out?"  
  
Dave pondered the question for a moment. "Surprisingly no," he told her honestly. "Besides, apocalypse or none, it's worth a little Dawn-time."  
  
Dawn blushed. "Really?"  
  
"Absolutely," he told her leaning in for another kiss.  
  
"Guys!" Buffy interrupted them. "As much as I appreciate young mushy feelings, we really need to get to business."  
  
Dawn nodded in understanding agreement and sat down between Dave and Janice. She was so happy she thought she would burst.  
  
"Right," Giles began. "So, Anya, Ayanathla was able to teleport you to... uh... wherever it is that she is. Why is that? Wasn't she bound."  
  
"Yes, but she's been down there apparently for centuries more than I thought due to the different dimensional plain she's on so she obviously had time to replenish her energies and power. It obviously took a lot to take me too her. Also, she's getting glimpses?"  
  
"Oh dear, oh dear."  
  
"Glimpses?" Xander asked. "What does that mean?"  
  
"It's like little peeks into our lives. Fortunately, she hasn't gotten enough power yet to be watching us all the time."  
  
Giles looked at her interrogatively. "Are you sure?"  
  
Anya nodded and Buffy giggles. "Geez Giles, you seem a bit worried about the whole thing. Have we been naughty?"  
  
Giles rolled his eyes. "Honestly Buffy, this isn't exactly the best time for levity."  
  
Dawn snorted.  
  
"What is it now?"  
  
Dawn looked up at her watcher. "Nothing."  
  
Giles groaned at the lack of respect he was getting from his slayers. "No Dawn, if something is bothering you I think you should let us know."  
  
"It's just that there's never a time for levity. I mean, we could all be dead in a week, what's the big deal?"  
  
Giles was about to retort when Anya beat him to it. "Dawnie, as much as I hate to admit this and in public, Giles is right. What we're facing here is very serious and joking around isn't going to help us stop Ya- Ayanathla."  
  
Anya suddenly felt as though she was being consumed by grief. The sinking feeling in her stomach returned and she put her hand on her head as if to stop from spinning.  
  
Xander looked at her with concerned. "Are you okay?"  
  
Anya looked up and smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah. I'm fine," she lied. "I'm just going to get some fresh air."  
  
Xander stared slack-jawed at his wife as he watched her walk out the front door. "I don't know what to do with her. I try and try and try but she won't talk to me," he confessed helplessly to the gang.  
  
"I'm might," Spike said offhandedly. Xander absently waved his hand at him as if to give him silent permission and wish him good luck. The vampire nodded and as he walked out the door he heard Xander mumble something about hormones.  
  
He saw her sitting on the porch swing hold her legs with her head resting on her knees. The unnaturally blonde man crept up stealthily behind the ex- demon and stopped when he was standing just behind her.  
  
"You are *not* fine," he told her seriously.  
  
Anya sighed and moved over a bit so that he could sit down next to her. "There's no point in me trying to convince you to just leave me alone, is there?"  
  
Spike shook his head. "Nope."  
  
"Okay, then I won't."  
  
"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to tell you?"  
  
Anya turned and looked at him angrily. "Don't."  
  
"Don't what?"  
  
"Talk to me like you know me better than I know myself. You don't so just don't."  
  
"I've known you for a long time, Anya so-"  
  
"Stop it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We agreed that we wouldn't talk about that. As far as anyone else is concerned we've known each other for four years."  
  
"So what's the problem if it concerns us?"  
  
"It was... it was a long time ago, and we were drunk. Very, *very* drunk."  
  
"Indeed we were," Spike chuckled. "But that isn't the point. It may not concern them but you concern me. I shouldn't but I do worry about you sometimes."  
  
"Well just stop it then."  
  
"It's not that easy. So are you or am I?"  
  
Anya sighed heavily. "Go ahead. But I'm fine so-"  
  
"Right. You're upset because you're afraid for her. I know it, and I understand why it upsets you. BY all mean you are a good person, Anya. And you feel terrible for worrying about her... Ayanathla. You know you shouldn't, but you do because she was and in some way always will be your friend. But just so you know, even if it doesn't mean a bloody thing coming from me, it's okay to feel for her."  
  
Anya merely stared at him with a puzzled expression.  
  
"What?"  
  
"When did you become Mr. Insightful?"  
  
"Pretty recently, why?"  
  
"It's very disturbing."  
  
"Tell me about it," Spike said as he got up to leave but he stopped when Anya spoke.  
  
"Oh no you don't"  
  
"What?" He asked, turning around with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"You aren't going to get off that easily. We discussed my pain, now we get to discuss yours. So sit!"  
  
Spike obeyed plopped back down on the swing causing is to sway back on forth. Once the motion stopped and Anya didn't feel quite so nauseous, she spoke.  
  
"So, you don't think you're good."  
  
Anya stared wide-eyed at the woman's bluntness. "What? How did you... Xander. Bloody ponce told you?"  
  
"After much undignified prying and begging, yes. I got him to spill. Anyway, how I know is not important. What's important is that you're wrong."  
  
"I wish I were. I can't even express how much I wish you were right but I don't think that He" Spike motioned to the sky "would agree with you."  
  
"Silly Spike, of course He doesn't, not yet anyway. But it's all about best intentions in the end. I see you, everyday trying so hard to be a man, a really good man, and as much as you seem to fight it, it's what you are becoming. The world is lucky to have a man as good as you."  
  
Spike grimaced thoughtfully and considered what Anya had just told him. Did it really make a difference what his intentions were? His train of thought was interrupted by Anya, who was know standing by the front door.  
  
"And Spike, you should frown less. You're whole face lights up when you smile."  
  
The ex-demon walked inside felling rather satisfied, and leaving a very confused Spike sitting in awe of her on the porch.  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Okay you guys, I'm getting tired of begging, so please review!!!!! 


	17. Trouble in Paradise

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 17: Trouble in Paradise  
  
It had been one week; one whole entire week where nothing exceptionally insane had happened. It was Friday, Buffy's favorite day of the week and she had nothing to do that was "evil-related". Well, there was that one thing, but being with Spike never was a problem.  
  
The Slayer laid back on her bed, sighed heavily, and her eyes drooped shut. They had been researching intensely, and everyday it seemed like something knew came up. And of course there was the patrolling, but that was nothing new. And there had also been the sex... the amazing sex which Buffy never seemed to grow tired of. But right now, all there was, was herself and her bed and rest.  
  
Until, of course, there was a loud and most obnoxious knock on her door. Buffy opened her eyes and looked at it with an anger that she hadn't felt in weeks.  
  
"Not five minutes," she mumbled no one and everyone at the same time. "Come in!" She called with a mock pleasantness.  
  
Anya opened the door cautiously, she and Xander had come over for dinner. "Oh good, you're not sleeping. Otherwise I would have had to wake you. And I need to talk to you."  
  
Buffy sat up heavily and motioned for Anya to come sit next to her. She agreed only because she didn't feel like getting into a whole thing with upsetting the hormonal pregnant lady.  
  
"I don't think you're treating Spike very well," Anya told her bluntly as she plopped down next to her on the bed.  
  
"What? How can you say that?"  
  
"Okay, it's not that you don't treat him well, it's more like, he's not been feeling very good about himself, and you aren't helping."  
  
"I can't believe that you have the audacity to-"  
  
"Oh Buffy, don't act so surprised. I mean, do you love him?"  
  
Buffy's face was reddening more and more by the second. "Of course I love him!" She told her seriously through gritted teeth.  
  
"Then why can't you see that he's hurting?"  
  
Buffy was completely taken aback? Spike? Hurting? Were they talking about the same man? Spike hadn't shown any signs of pain or frustration, or at least not the usual ones. Unless...  
  
"Did he say something to you?"  
  
"Yes. And Xander."  
  
"AND Xander?" Buffy asked totally shocked. "Why would he tell you guys and not me? Does he feel like he can't come to me?"  
  
"He might," Anya told her frankly, with little emotion. "I mean, he's probably afraid of you. And can you blame him? You can be rather intimidating."  
  
Buffy was at a loss for words. "Do you really think I... frighten him?" She struggled to say the words. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She loved him with every inch of her being. She was pretty sure he knew that, she told him often enough, and certainly showed him often enough. What was wrong? Why couldn't he come to her when he was hurt?  
  
"I-I don't m-mean to frighten him," Buffy stuttered as her eyes filled with tears.  
  
Anya cocked her head and rolled her eyes at the Slayer. "Come on, don't get all blubbery. I'm just saying that you really need to talk to him. Okay?" She asked perkily, patting Buffy on the shoulder and leaving her alone with her rather morose thoughts.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Spike climbed into Buffy's bed and gave her a sweet kiss on the shoulder. "Night, love."  
  
Buffy began to ball harder than she thought she had ever cried in her entire life. Spike was startled by her sudden choking sobs and immediately questioned her state.  
  
"Buffy, pet, what's the matter?"  
  
"Anya-sob-said-sob-that-sob-you don't know-sob-how much-sob-I-sob-love you!"  
  
"Oh Buffy," he said, taking her into his muscular arms. "I know, I know."  
  
Buffy's hysteria began to quiet as she felt Spike's hands softly caressing her back. He does know, she insisted to herself. He knows damn well.  
  
"You know, I love Anya, but she can be... a bit blunt at times. You shouldn't think anything of it."  
  
"Then why didn't you tell *me* when you were in pain."  
  
Spike stopped rubbing her back as he pulled away so that he could look at her. "What?"  
  
"Do you think you can't come to me?"  
  
Spike looked around sheepishly, avoiding her gaze. "Buffy I-"  
  
"Spike, please tell me the truth."  
  
The vampire sighed unnecessarily and looked at his lover. "I don't know Buffy."  
  
A fresh batch of tears fell from the slayer's eyes. "How can you say that? I love you so much, Spike. I'd do anything for you and you can't even trust me with your problems? How am I even supposed to trust you if you don't come to me?"  
  
"Buffy it's not you, it's me," Spike checked himself before his little speech became a whole string of clichés. "Buffy, I trust you. And I want to be able to come to you, and it's not that I don't think I can, I just wasn't ready I guess. You know, to tell you what was going on with me."  
  
"I wish I didn't have to hear it from Anya," Buffy mumbled.  
  
"I know, and I'm sorry it happened that way."  
  
"I know, but Spike, when I came back from- when I came back, you were so there for me. You listened to me and if it weren't for you I think I'd have rather been dead. I want to be that for you. I want to be understanding the way you were. But I can't if you don't talk to me."  
  
"I know, and I want to talk to you, I do. But, I'm still not ready Buffy. If you love me as much as you say you do, then you can wait for when I am ready to tell you what I have to."  
  
"Is this an ultimatum? I wait or I'm somehow saying that I don't love you?"  
  
"No. I don't mean-"  
  
"Because I have had enough ultimatums for an... ever and it's not fair for you to do this."  
  
"Do what, Buffy? Sometimes I just have to do what I know what's right for me? I give everything for you and Dawn and you can't just give me a little bit of time?"  
  
"Time? TIME? We don't have time, Spike. If I was Ms. Jane Normal, then we could have some time but as far as I'm concerned all we have is now. I think that's a fair conclusion for me to make since I've died twice."  
  
"I died too, remember."  
  
"But you came back."  
  
"Not the same."  
  
"It's never the same the second time. I don't feel like talking about this anymore. Until you feel like talking, I just don't want to talk," Buffy told him coldly as she turned off her bedside lamp and rolled over.  
  
Spike was blown away. He couldn't understand why she couldn't be more understanding. He was so angry he thought he might scream but instead he just got out of the bed and put on his clothes. As he walked toward the door to leave, Buffy spoke.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I thought you didn't want to talk," Spike answered angrily as he shut the door behind him.  
  
  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Please, please, please review!!! 


	18. Confrontation and Salt

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
A/n: I am so sorry it took this long to update. Please try to understand thought, I am still in High School and it's very hard for me to find the time to write. I do whenever I can and I update as much as I can. Please stick with this because there's more dramatic, romantic, and actiony fun to come! Also, a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 18: Confrontation and Salt  
  
The Slayer quietly crept into the crypt and closed the door with a loud squeak behind her. She looked around at the disarray she saw before. Spike had been there so little in the past few months that he hadn't bothered to maintain cleanliness. She walked further in and saw that the vampire was no where in sight. Being as how it was six o'clock in the, he couldn't be out unless he was just coming back from a midday stroll through the tunnels, but the Slayer knew that that was rather unlikely.  
  
She climbed down as quietly as she could to the lower level of the crypt. She looked around and thought to herself how long it had been since she had been in the crypt. Her eyes eventually fell upon the sleeping vampire. She cocked her head and sighed at his restless sight, feeling terrible about how he tossed and turned. She still couldn't believe what had happened the night before.  
  
She took a step toward Spike and stepped on a root that made a crunching noise beneath her foot. The vampire jerked awake.  
  
"Dawn?"  
  
"Hey," she replied sheepishly. "Sorry I woke you."  
  
"It's okay. I wasn't sleeping all that well anyway." He scratched the back of his head and avoided Dawn's eyes. "So what are you doing here?"  
  
She shrugged and walked over to the bed. She hopped up on it and bounced to a stop before answering him. "I came to see you."  
  
"Well obviously, pet, not many others that you'd know would be expected to be here. I'm asking why you came to see me."  
  
Dawn sighed. "Buffy's pretty mad at you."  
  
"Oh is she now?" Spike asked, grimacing as he stood from the bed. "Queen Buffy is upset! What ever shall we do?" He said with mock concern, flailing his arms around.  
  
"Stop it!" Dawn yelled at him angrily. "How can you talk about her like that?"  
  
"Like what? Like the world doesn't revolve around her? Terribly sorry."  
  
"I mean like you don't care about her."  
  
Spike sighed. "Dawn, if you can't handle our problems maybe you shouldn't get in the middle of them."  
  
She scowls and turned angrily on her heel. "Fine, I'll just leave you alone then. Sorry to bother you."  
  
"No, Dawn," Spike called after her, feeling guilty about snapping at her, "it's just that... couples fight. Buffy and I are allowed to fight, it's not the end of the- it's not the end of us."  
  
Dawn turned back around. "I know that! I'm not stupid! But every time Buffy has a fight with her boyfriend he ends up... gone. In the gets up and leaves town sort of way. Spike, I don't want you gone."  
  
"I'm not, I'm right here. I don't plan on leaving anytime soon, Nibblet. No need to worry."  
  
"But I do worry! There's always worry. Slayer, remember? It's like, my job to worry about stuff. And I worry about you, and I worry about worry and sometimes I think it's more than I can handle."  
  
Spike walked over to the very flustered teen and softly placed his hand on her elbow. She looked up into his deep sapphire eyes and he smiled warmly.  
  
"Then just stop for a second. You don't need to worry about me."  
  
Dawn shook her head sadly and shook Spike's hand off of her arm. "What's going on with you two?"  
  
"Buffy didn't tell you."  
  
"Mostly it was just sobbing and I got the basic story from her but, I wanted to hear it from you."  
  
Spike ran his fingers through his hair, which was now rather long and dark at the roots. "We fought. She wanted to talk, I wasn't ready and she wouldn't wait."  
  
"What did she want to talk about?" Dawn inquired.  
  
"I- it was nothing. Kind of private."  
  
"Okay."  
  
They stood in silence for a few moments, both feeling more timid with each other than usual. Dawn wanted to help somehow. Coax him into coming back to the house and fixing his problem with Buffy. But she knew better. She knew it wasn't that simple; it never was.  
  
"Do you know when you are gonna be coming back home?"  
  
"This is my home, Nibblet."  
  
"You know what I mean!"  
  
Spike took a moment to consider the question. "I'm really not sure. I think it would be best to wait a day or so, until all tempers have cooled."  
  
"Okay," Dawn agreed, knowing that they wouldn't get anywhere with her sister and friend just screaming at one another. "I have to go now, Dave's coming over at seven."  
  
"Oh right you'd best-" Spike stopped when his vampire senses suddenly picked on a tremor coming from the earth. He looked at Dawn who was also suddenly looking extra cautious.  
  
"Do you feel that?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Do you think it's an-" her unfinished question was answered by a very sudden and very violent jolt of the earth. It continued to shake for a few seconds and then slowed and stopped.  
  
Dawn and Spike looked at each other wide-eyed. "That can't be good," Spike commented offhandedly.  
  
Dawn shook her head. "Nope. Maybe you should come back with me to my house now."  
  
Spike nodded in agreement. "Let's go then."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Buffy lay on her bed sniffing away feeling sorry for herself. She couldn't help but feel stupid for feeling this way, but she couldn't help this feeling. Spike left her? Okay, maybe not *left* left in the way that her other two boyfriends had, but he walked out. He just got up and walked out like it was no big deal. Buffy's rather serious thoughts just eventually led to a fresh batch of tears.  
  
"Why can't he understand that I just want him to talk to me?" She moaned to herself.  
  
"I don't know," Willow answered from the doorway. "Can I come in?"  
  
Buffy rolled over and nodded permission to her best friend, then rolled back over to the position she had been laying in before. Willow sat down next to her and gently rubbed Buffy's shoulder in a comforting manner.  
  
"I think you should be working yourself up over this, Buffy. It isn't like you."  
  
Buffy didn't respond so Willow kept talking.  
  
"I mean, you're Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The chosen one, she who stands alone to fight the forces of darkness and all sorts of icky monsters and stuff. You are the strongest person I have ever met, and I respect you for that more than you can imagine. So I have to say, Buffy, I'm a little disappointed. I expect so much more from you than just sitting here and moping. The Buffy I know would do something about her problem. The Buffy I know-"  
  
"The Buffy you know feels like she can't be strong all the time. Willow, I have to fall apart, I can't do *anything* for him anymore. I try so hard to make things work so that they don't get messed up. But I can't be on all the time, Willow, I just can't."  
  
"Things can't always work out perfectly, Buffy, as long as they work out. Even Tara and I had a falling out period. But that didn't mean-"  
  
"That's the thing, Will," Buffy told her best friend emphatically, sitting up so that she could face her. "I don't want to fall out with him. I love him so much, and I'm tired of losing people I love."  
  
"You aren't losing him Buffy."  
  
"What if I am? What if he's slipping away from me and I can't even see it? What if he's like Riley? I tried so hard to make it work with him. Or Angel? What if something's wrong, something that I can't fix and he just leaves? I can't take anymore heartache, Willow, I'm not strong enough for that."  
  
"I think you have too many or's, Buffy. You shouldn't worry so much about stuff that isn't even happening yet. Spike loves you and he isn't going anywhere. So why don't we concentrate on what we know is coming... the apocalypse."  
  
Buffy sighed, "you're right. Let's just-"  
  
The sudden and rather vigorous shaking of the earth interrupted Buffy. Willow was thrown from where she sat on the bed.  
  
"Willow!"  
  
The trembling slowed and stopped and Willow sat on the floor holding her head. "Ow."  
  
"Will? My god, are you okay?"  
  
"I think so. Ow. Buffy, that's definitely a big worry."  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
"Should we assemble the Scoobies?"  
  
"Let's."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Spike and Dawn sprinted into Summers' house. "Is everyone okay?" Dawn called out.  
  
"Yeah, we're... Spike."  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"You came."  
  
"Of course, apocalypse and all. We should maybe-"  
  
"Talk?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay. But, not now, now we've got... things."  
  
"Right, things. Very, very important... things."  
  
"More important than-"  
  
"Of course, I- of course."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Right, then."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Good."  
  
Buffy, not sure of what to say, said nothing and left Spike standing a bit baffled at the entrance hall. She mumbled to herself about how stupid that she was and about how she couldn't seem to put together a congruent statement without turning into a total spaz. She continued her silent rant when she heard the front door slam shut. She turned around to see Giles, Anya and Xander entered in a flurried rush; especially the pregnant woman who looked rather flustered.  
  
Buffy walked over to the couch and plopped down on it. "Welcome back."  
  
"I need a calendar," Anya told her urgently.  
  
"A what?"  
  
"You don't know what a calendar is?"  
  
Buffy frowned at her. "I know what a calendar is, Anya! I just wanted to know why you need one. But you know what? Now I just don't care so hold on."  
  
Buffy walked into the kitchen and it took all of her energy to keep from ripping calendar she kept on the wall off of the wall. She looked at that stupid smiley face and grimaced.  
  
"What the hell are you always so happy about?" She mumbled as she pulled the thumbtack out of the wall and walked back into the living room. Buffy handed the calendar harshly to Anya.  
  
"Geez, what's your-"  
  
"Anya!" Xander said firmly, telling her that she should just stop. The ex- demon sighed and began to flip through the calendar. She stopped at September, looked over the dates, and her eyes widened.  
  
"Of course," she whispered in a shocked and yet rather obvious tone. "I never thought but... I should have known."  
  
"Known what?" Buffy asked impatiently, but she calmed herself, wondering why she was so moody. "Anya, you aren't making sense. What should you have known."  
  
"She's coming soon," Anya told them somberly. "This Wednesday as a matter of fact."  
  
"What? How can you know that?"  
  
Anya held out the calendar and pointed to Wednesday the twentieth. "It's a new moon. She'll come on a new moon. It's so obvious, her power peaks toward the beginning of each new lunar cycle. That's why she was powerful enough to bring me to her a week ago. That's why she can only sometimes get glimpses. It's all based on the lunar cycle. And this Thursday is the new moon. She's coming forth, and she's gonna kill us all."  
  
"No!" Tara said, interrupting Buffy before she could even object. "I'm going to bind her. I'm going to stop her."  
  
"What?" Willow asked, standing up to face her lover. "You can't! You'll die! I won't let you!"  
  
"This isn't your decision," Tara told her calmly.  
  
"I won't let you do this, Tara. I won't lose you!"  
  
Buffy interjected, "Will, calm down nothing is set in stone yet. I mean-"  
  
"Yes is it," Tara said. "I'm going to do this. I have to do this. It's for the world, Will."  
  
"But Tara," Willow sighed as tears began to fall rapidly from her eyes and flow down her now pink cheeks. "You are my world."  
  
"Oh Willow," Tara cooed, reached out to take Willow's hands. The redhead flinched at her touch.  
  
"No," she said coldly and she stormed out the front door.  
  
"Will!" Xander called and he turned to run after her.  
  
"No," Tara commanded him. "Let her just... she needs to cool off."  
  
"Tara, you know you don't have to do this," Buffy told her.  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Are you-"  
  
"Buffy, I'm sure."  
  
The eldest Slayer nodded respectfully and took the Witch into her arms. "Oh Tara, you are truly the best of us all."  
  
Tara made no response and just hugged Buffy. Was she really giving herself up for the world? Yes. Plain and simple she was because it was right, and she knew it was just something she had to do. The Scoobies jumped when the doorbell rang. Dawn's eyes widened.  
  
"Dave!"  
  
She ran to the door and swung it open. When he saw her he smiled. Before he could even tell his girlfriend how nice she looked, she had flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug.  
  
"Everything is so wrong!" She cried, "it's just wrong."  
  
"What happened?" He asked, gently stroking her back.  
  
"Just so much. Can we- can we talk privately?"  
  
"Sure. Do you still wanna go out?"  
  
Dawn looked to her sister. "Can I?"  
  
Buffy sighed. "Alright."  
  
"Let's just go back to your house," she whispered in his ear. He nodded and they left.  
  
"Well, since everyone is going, I guess I'll just grab some blood and sod off."  
  
"You don't have to," Buffy told him.  
  
"I know, but I think it would be best."  
  
"What about what I think?"  
  
"Buffy, please."  
  
"What? Would you like me to-"  
  
"Enough!" He said harshly. "I'm leaving."  
  
He turned and walked out of the living room through the kitchen but when he reached the back door Buffy called out after him.  
  
"Don't you dare walk out on me!"  
  
He sighed and turned around. "Buffy, I don't want to fight with you anymore."  
  
"Too bad, Spike. Because you know what? It's now or never! I could die... on Thursday! And I want to talk to you."  
  
"You won't die, I would never let that happen, not again."  
  
"You can't control that, Spike. I might die and-"  
  
"I WON'T!" He shouted, feeling all the upset and frustration rising to the top and finally bubbling over. He knew he couldn't keep it in anymore and he figured the best thing to do would just be to let it out.  
  
"Everyone I love could die and I will be alone. I don't want to be alone, Buffy, not again. I don't want to be empty inside. I'm so afraid, Buffy. I'm so afraid that I'm not good enough to die."  
  
Buffy demurred, taking her time to consider what he had just said. She looked at her lover, his eyes filled with salty tears and she told him exactly how she felt. For the first time in her life, she told him what she thought with one hundred percent honesty.  
  
"William... you are so good."  
  
"Then why do I feel like this?" He asked, tears beginning to drip from his eyes down his cheeks. "Do I deserve you, Buffy? You're always glowing. Did you know that? You're always in the light and I'm not supposed to be in the light. Buffy, why do I feel like this?"  
  
He completely broke down and Buffy ran to him, catching the broken pieces of the love of her life into her welcoming arms.  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Please keep review you guys... you (and James Marsters, LOL) are my inspiration!!! 


	19. Falling Together

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 19: Falling Together  
  
Dave pushed the door to his house open and led his distraught girlfriend in. She followed silently and closed the door behind her. He wanted to blurt out everything he had been feeling and wished to himself that it were that simple as she came from behind his and grasped his hand. During the entire car ride over to house, he has been planning everything he wanted to tell her into a coherent thought. But now that his opportunity had come, it seemed so hard. He began the only way he could think of.  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
"Yeah," Dawn agreed, "are your parents home?"  
  
"No. They're away for the weekend."  
  
"Okay. Can we go to your room?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
They walked through the house, which happened to be familiar to both of the teenagers. They entered Dave's room and Dawn sat on his bed, feeling uncomfortable in his own skin. She had been in his room many times before, they had known each other since the seventh grade. Fortunately, when Sunnydale High was rebuilt two years ago, Dave and Dawn were both sent there.  
  
"Do you want to go first?" Dave asked politely.  
  
"Okay," Dawn said sheepishly, her voice shook as she spoke and she remained silent after her initial answer.  
  
"Go ahead then," David coaxed.  
  
Dawn sighed heavily and then spoke. "I'm so scared, David, I'm just so afraid."  
  
He sat down next to her and took her delicate hands into his own. "That's okay, you know. You're allowed to be scared."  
  
"But I'm not," she told him, practically at a whisper. "I'm supposed to be the brave one. I have to fight this. I'm the one who has to save the world from the forces of darkness and I'm so scared. I haven't been this afraid since..." Dawn trailed off and remembered the time she spent with Glory and then on the tower the night that Buffy died. It was then that it occurred to her how much Dave really didn't know about her.  
  
"Since what? You haven't been this afraid since what?"  
  
Dawn looked up at him, her eyes full of tears. "Dave, there's some stuff that you need to know... about where I came from."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Everyone had left. Even Tara went out to look for Willow, just to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. For the first time in what felt like a very long time, Spike and Buffy were alone in the house together. The timing couldn't have been better.  
  
Spike lay on Buffy's bed, shirtless and shoeless with just a pair of pajama pants that he left at Buffy's house so that went he slept over he wouldn't be completely nude. Buffy changed into her favorite "yummy sushi" pajamas and lay down next to her lover. Tears still streaked his face and she kissed his left cheek along his very defined cheekbone.  
  
"I'm sorry," he told her softly.  
  
Buffy pulled back and looked at him, "for what?"  
  
"Falling apart at a time like this."  
  
"Shh," she cooed and she kissed the corner of his lips, "don't worry about it," the Slayer whispered sweetly.  
  
"I do. I just, I still feel like there's nothing to me. I feel like-" he stopped when tears began to fall from his eyes and he closed them, obviously embarrassed.  
  
Buffy moved her body carefully over in the bed so that she was pressed up lightly against him. She took her left hand and placed it on his abdomen and rubbed it soothingly. She hated seeing him so upset, but still couldn't help but feel glad that he had finally let his feelings show to her.  
  
Eventually she could feel the tense muscles in his stomach relaxed and she could tell that he was asleep. She stared at him and she became worried for a second but then checked herself. It just scared her sometimes because when he slept he looked so... dead. It could be a terrifying thing; he looked that same way her mom had when she found her that day. He was so still. But she knew that overall he was okay, and that he wasn't going anywhere.  
  
Buffy pulled the blanket over herself and Spike. She curled up so that her arm fell lazily over his chest and she rested her head on his shoulder. Eventually, the exhausted Slayer drifted off to sleep mumbling, "I love you."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Wow," was all Dave could seem to manage after he listened for what seemed like hours to Dawn's explanation of her origen.  
  
"Big wow. It's a lot. I hope you're not to freaked."  
  
"You're just... so new."  
  
"I know. It definitely took some getting used to."  
  
"But you're still Dawn."  
  
"Yeah, I'm still Dawn."  
  
He released a quick breath of laughter. "I wasn't asking," he told her with a smile.  
  
Dawn smiled back before looking down from his eyes at her bare feet. Suddenly she remembered, "Was there something you wanted to tell me?"  
  
Dave looked a little surprised and then embarrassed. "Oh yeah."  
  
"Go ahead then," Dawn told him joke-mockingly.  
  
"Oh... right," he said sheepishly. He stood up quickly, hoping that it would give him the courage to say what he knew he had to, however, it just made him feel like his stomach was slowly sink to his feet. He turned to face Dawn and mustered all of the courage that he could from inside of him.  
  
"I love you," he blurted out. Dawn didn't make any motion at all, but just cocked her head as the hint of a smiled played on the corner of her mouth. Dave blushed after realizing what he had just said and he continued.  
  
"I love you. I'm in love with you. For a long time I guess I've known, especially since we started going out it just kind of dawned on me. I'm in love with you" the more he said it the easier it came out "I'm so in love with you. And I know how strange that is, seeing as how we've only been going out for a few weeks but we've known each other a lot longer and I think I really have always known. When I see you, it's like this little light in my body just goes on and all of me is suddenly alight. You're like this intense fire, Dawn. You're so bright, and warm, and beautiful. Sometimes I know I shouldn't stare but I can't help it. You amaze me; I am enamored by you. Dawn Summers, I love you."  
  
Dave took a deep and looked at Dawn. He waited moments that felt like an eternity for some reaction. Some little sign that she may feel or may eventually feel the same way he did. He looked at Dawn who appeared to be pondering the same exact thing.  
  
Finally, she stood up and took his hands. She placed a sweet kiss on his lips and a slight sigh escaped his lips when she pulled back.  
  
"I love you too," she told him honestly.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."  
  
Dave smiled and kissed her, harder this time. His tongue explored her mouth vigorously and Dawn pulled on him so that they feel backward onto his bed. During their frenzy of young love, Dawn eagerly pulled of Dave's shirt and he stopped.  
  
"We don't have to, you know, if you don't want to."  
  
Dawn merely laughed, a sound that was true music to David's ears, and she pulled his lips back onto her own.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hey there sad-eyed girl," Tara sheepishly said to Willow, who she saw sitting on a bench in the park. Willow made no response so Tara sat next to her and took her hand. The ex-witch didn't object.  
  
"What're you doing?"  
  
"I can't lose you," Willow blurted out. "I just can't."  
  
"You won't, not really."  
  
"Don't get all poetic on me, Tara. You will die if you do this, we both know that."  
  
"I may not."  
  
"It killed and entire coven of extremely powerful witches. I'm sorry, Tara, but if it killed them all it will kill you too."  
  
"I know, but there's nothing-"  
  
"Let me do the spell," Willow insisted.  
  
"No, I will not let you destroy yourself, not again."  
  
"But-"  
  
"NO!" Tara told her firmly, "that's it."  
  
"So what am I supposed to do, huh?" Willow asked, tears not flowing mercilessly from her eyes. "Just sit back and watch you die?"  
  
"No," Tara answered plainly. "There is something you can do?"  
  
"What?" Willow asked, a bit puzzled.  
  
"I've been researching the spell and, I need an anchor. I want you to do that for me, but NOTHING else. If you do this with me, I want you to promise me that you won't interfere."  
  
Willow twiddled her thumbs and looked at her feet. She considered the question, not sure if she could honestly say that she could. She decided that in truth, she knew that she couldn't make any promises.  
  
"Okay," Willow said. "I won't interfere."  
  
Tara leaned forward and kissed her lover sweetly on mouth. The first few tears fell from her eyes as she whispered, "I love you."  
  
  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
So what did you think? Come on you guys... please review!!! 


	20. Juliet

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 20: Juliet  
  
Dawn's eyes fluttered open lazily. She rolled her head to the right to see David sleeping peacefully with his arm wrapped around her. She rolled her head back over to the left and she looked out the window which had the blinds pulled back slightly. The it was still dark, but her slayer senses were telling her that the sun was just below the horizon line, and Dawn could hear the soft chirping of a bird outside.  
  
"I feel like Juliet," she mumbled, almost inaudibly.  
  
"What?" Dave responded, startling Dawn.  
  
"Oh sorry, did I wake you?"  
  
He rolled over and put both arms around her. "I don't mind. What did you just say."  
  
Dawn blushed, feeling a bit silly, " I said I feel like Juliet. You know, in that scene where she wakes up she realizes that Romeo needs to go but neither of them really want him to. I feel like that, because I don't want to go. I don't think I ever want to go."  
  
"Is that all you feel?" He asked quietly, nuzzling his nose against her flushed cheek.  
  
Dawn smiled, "I'm not sure. I thought I'd feel different."  
  
"You don't?"  
  
"Not really. Just... just... happier. Quieter. It's like all the little noises in my head just stopped and gave me some peace for a little while. It's just quiet." She rolled over so that now she was facing him as well, and she rested her forehead on his. "Except your breathing. It was nice just listening to you breathe."  
  
Dave nodded and kissed Dawn's lips softly before resting his head back on the pillow. Dawn close her eyes and relaxed into his arms.  
  
"Maybe you should go though, so your sister doesn't worry."  
  
But Dawn was already fast asleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Dawn fumbled around her pocketbook for her keys and pulled them out. She pushed her long, brown hair back from her face and pushed the key in to the lock. She turned the key and it opened the door with a satisfying click. I'm totally going to get away with this, she thought to herself.  
  
When she slowly, and very quietly pushed the door open to be met by Buffy who was walking down the stairs.  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
"Dawn?"  
  
She stood silent in the doorway.  
  
"Did you just get home?"  
  
Think, Dawn, think. "Yeah, sorry. After I went to Dave's for a while I went patrolling, needed to let of some steam. I should have called, I know, but I just needed to get out. Sorry."  
  
Dawn studied her sister, trying to figure out whether or not she believed her. When she merely stood on the second step, unmoving and seeming disbelieving, Dawn made her move.  
  
"Okay, well, I'm kind of wiped, so, I'm just gonna go take a nap."  
  
Dawn made it to the fourth step before Buffy grabbed her arm and whirled her around. "You weren't patrolling were you?"  
  
"What? Of course I was," Dawn lied, rather unconvincingly. This was going so bad.  
  
"Dawn, you don't need to lie, I'm not going to be angry."  
  
"I'm not lying!" She insisted, and she shook of the elder slayer's hold on her and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her. It was mere moments before Buffy entered, without knocking of course, Dawn noticed.  
  
"Were you safe?" She asked bluntly.  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
"Dawn, it's my job to ask these things okay. Were you safe?"  
  
Dawn sighed and looked at her shoes. She looked back up at her sister, "yes," she answered honestly.  
  
Buffy smiled and walked over to Dawn's bed where she sat heavily on it and placed a loving hand on her sister's knee. "Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"Yes... no... I don't know, Buffy. I- I was going to tell you, really I was. I was just, I was going to let myself get used to the fact."  
  
"He didn't turn evil, did he?"  
  
"Buffy," Dawn stated plainly, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Just checking," Buffy replied with a sly smile, "is there anything else you want to tell me?"  
  
Dawn smiled and looked down. "It was nice," she said, then looked up at Buffy, a blissful smile spread across her face. "It was REALLY nice."  
  
"Good, it's supposed to be."  
  
"You aren't going to tell Spike are you?"  
  
"What? No. Not unless you want me to..."  
  
"NO!"  
  
Buffy laughed, "chill Dawnie, I wasn't planning on telling anyone. Also, can I ask you something else?"  
  
"Do I have a choice."  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Go ahead then."  
  
"Do you love him?"  
  
Dawn didn't hesitate before she smiled and nodded. "I really do."  
  
Buffy smiled back and grabbed her sister into a tight bear hug. They were actually having a nice moment... a really nice moment until that moment was interrupted by a loud scream coming from Buffy's room. They both jumped up and ran to the site of the action.  
  
The action turned out to be a room full of smoke, and Spike cowering behind the bed. The room was flooded with sunlight through the open curtains of the window.  
  
"Oh god, Spike!" Buffy said as she ran down by his side and Dawn ran to the window to close the curtains. "I am so sorry! I completely forgot to close the curtains last night!"  
  
Spike groaned and sat up. "S'okay love, only minimal damage done."  
  
Buffy scrunched up her face. "Turn around, let me see."  
  
"Buffy really, I'm-"  
  
"Oh don't be a baby just let me see it."  
  
Spike sighed, a deep and unneeded breath, as he turned around so that Buffy could look at his back. There was a large burn mark on his upper right shoulder spreading to the middle of his back. Buffy reached out three fingers and touched it lightly and he flinched and made a whimpering sound.  
  
"Oh god, I'm so so sorry."  
  
"I said don't worry about it okay?" He laughed, trying to act tougher than he was. "I've had worse. Like, being pushed of a tower worse."  
  
"I know, but I still feel bad."  
  
"Do you want some ice r something?" Dawn offered.  
  
"Will it make you feel better if I put some ice on it?"  
  
They both nodded emphatically. "Fine," he said, rolling his eyes at them.  
  
Dawn nodded, happy to be helpful and ran downstairs. Buffy stood up and took Spike's hands, pulling him to his feet. She put her hands flat on his chest and snuggled into his body, which was warm from the sun nearly setting him on fire. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tightly.  
  
"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked, "someone who can't even take you into the sun?"  
  
"You used to say that I belonged in the dark."  
  
"I was wrong."  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
"But are you then?"  
  
"Am I what?"  
  
"Are you sure that this is the life you want?"  
  
Spike arms released Buffy as she stepped back from him. She took his hands in her own and kissed them.  
  
"I haven't a question in my mind that this exactly what I want. Spike, if you had told me when I was seventeen that this would be my life, I wouldn't believe a second of it. I mean, I'm not talking about the fact that when I was seventeen that you were just some psycho vamp trying to kill me and restore his insano freak of a girlfriend to full health, I mean I'm happy. If you had told me when I was seventeen that I could be the Slayer and still be happy, I wouldn't have believed you in a million years. But as strange as this is, with everything that's going on... I am happy."  
  
Spike leaned in to kiss Buffy when Dawn reentered with a damp towel and an ice pack. She looked a bit embarrassed as opposed to annoyed when she walked in on the moment, so she just put down the objects that she had been carrying and closed the door behind her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The picture of the vampire and the slayer's lovemaking faded and slowly turned to black. The sorceress sighed and ran her fingers through the now empty pool.  
  
"How sweet. They'll die soon enough, they might as well enjoy each other while they can."  
  
"You will be set free and hell will reign on earth!" Jrea cried excitedly and dozens of other Fyarl demons cried boisterously of Ayanathla's wonder.  
  
"It'll be such fun watching them burn, watching thw hole wrold burn and only evil shall survive. It'll be quite the party."  
  
Suddenly the pool of water flashed again and Ayanathla watched Buffy and Spike embrace each other, quivering with pleasure.  
  
"I like him," she commented offhandedly. "William the bloody if I'm not mistaken. I'd keep him if I could."  
  
"You're day is soon approaching," Jrea told her, we must prepare.  
  
"Yes, I suppose we should," she sighed, and she waved her hand over the pool of water so erase the image from the surface. She thought it would be nice to give the lovers privacy together in their last few days of life, seeing as how she had never gotten that chance herself.  
  
  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Okay you guys, just a few more chapters. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this fic since the beginning! And please, please, please keep reviewing! 


	21. Damned

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 21: Damned  
  
It was Tuesday night, or possibly Wednesday morning and everyone sat around in the Summers' house with a book in hand or possibly some sort of weapon... mostly it was books. Giles and Xander were really the only ones dealing with weapons. Giles kept leaving and coming back with weapons from his house, and Xander would be sharpening them or teaching Dave a thing or two. Fortunately, Wednesday the twentieth happened to be Rosh Hashanah, so Dave and Janice were both being allowed to stay over at Dawn's house.  
  
"The Hellmouth!" Willow suddenly shouted, startling everyone.  
  
"What do you mean?" Dawn asked, "what about it?"  
  
"That's where she's going to rise. Through the Hellmouth" Willow smirked "oh yeah, I still got the research skills."  
  
Buffy, Xander and Willow shot one another a look and they all smiled. The Janice asked, "what's a Hellmouth?"  
  
"Center of mystical convergence, yadda yadda, all you need to know is that it attracts a lot of evil and it's under the library at the new Sunnydale High-"  
  
"Is it though?" Buffy asked, "is it still under the library."  
  
"It is," Xander replied, "when we were rebuilding it I checked the blueprints, the new library is right over the old library."  
  
"Okay, so, we have a location," Buffy said. "That's a good."  
  
"And we have the spell," Tara reminded them.  
  
Buffy looked at the witch with sad eyes. "Tara, are you-"  
  
"Please stop asking me that," Tara begged. "I know what I have to do."  
  
The real reason she didn't want everyone to keep asking her is she was sure was because she really wasn't. She wasn't sure at all that she wanted to die. She knew it was what was right, and she had a feeling inside of her that told her that everything would turn out alright, but she was human. She still didn't want to die.  
  
Willow could feel the fear radiating off of her lover's aura. She squeezed her hand tightly, and Tara responded by doing the same. Was this really happening? She wondered. Would she really be losing the love of her life? Again, she reminded herself, and she sighed loudly.  
  
"Well at least I won't have to go to synagogue," Dave mumbled to himself without thinking. Dawn slapped his chest, feeling that right then was an inopportune time for levity, but Willow unconsciously choked a laugh.  
  
"Yeah, me either."  
  
"You never go, sweetie."  
  
Willow turned to Tara with mock anger on her face. "Well, I was thinking of going."  
  
Tara rolled her eyes.  
  
"Really! I was!"  
  
Tara and Willow started to laugh at the absurdity of their argument, which caused a strange chain reaction. Soon, everyone in the room was laughing for no apparent reason, except for Anya who was sitting with a book in her lap and a frustrated expression on her face.  
  
"People! We're supposed to be thinking of ways to not get dead!"  
  
Buffy calmed herself and spoke to the group. "Anya's right, we need to plan."  
  
Everyone agreed with a nod of the head and Buffy continued. "Okay, so first of all, Willow and Tara, what do you guys need for the binding spell?"  
  
"Well, the ingredients are all pretty basic things that I have in the house," Tara told her, "but besides that, just a quiet place where Willow and I can set up. The house is fine, we can do it from any distance."  
  
Buffy nodded. "Okay, so that's all good. Anya, you shouldn't be there. I have a feeling that Ayanathla might target you if you're there. Also, you're not going to be any help to us puking everywhere. So I want you to stay in the house with Willow and Tara. But, you must stay out of their way, okay?"  
  
Anya nodded enthusiastically. "Right! Stay out of harm's way! I can so do that!"  
  
Xander put his hand on her shoulder, "that's my girl." Anya smiled appreciatively.  
  
"Alright, so everyone else, me, Dawn, Spike, Xander, and Giles will go to the school tomorrow night-"  
  
"Tonight," Dawn corrected her with a yawn.  
  
"Tonight," Buffy said, rolling her eyes, "we will go to the school and hold off Ayanathla and whatever henchmen she throws at us."  
  
"What about me?" Dave asked.  
  
"And me?" Janice chimed in. "What do we do."  
  
"Nothing," Buffy told them, "you can hide and pray."  
  
"No way!" Dave insisted. "You can't just expect me to do nothing!"  
  
"Yeah! Dawn's my best friend, her demons are my demons, figuratively or literally speaking."  
  
Dawn smiled at them, "thanks you guys, but I wouldn't want to put you in any unnecessary danger."  
  
"We won't," Janice told her, "we'd be putting ourselves into unnecessary danger. You aren't forcing us to do this." Dave nodded his agreement to the fact.  
  
"But you guys have no experience!" Buffy told them forcefully.  
  
"Janice is black belt in Tae Kwon Do," Dawn said, once again correcting her sister.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yep," Janice told her, smiling proudly.  
  
"And Xander and I can teach David here a few tricks with an ax," Spike said and Dawn thanked him with her eyes. "I'm sure the glorified bricklayer wouldn't object to the task."  
  
"Of course not," Xander said, "I'll be handing down the axing rite of passage. It would be my honor."  
  
"Right, then. Shall we?" Spike said, handing on of the smaller large battle-axes to the teen who took it with pride.  
  
"So cool," he said, as he followed the two older men down the stairs to the basement.  
  
"Alright," Buffy said, sighing as she spoke, "so everyone one knows what they're doing?"  
  
All the Scoobies nodded.  
  
"Then tonight we fight."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The sun had just barely fallen lazily below the horizon. It was almost eight o'clock, and for once, everything was exactly on schedule. They had had a nice dinner together, Giles, Tara, and Spike cooked for everyone. They sat down and to all of their surprise, it was rather pleasant. But now that was over. Unclean dishes sat in the sink, and Anya was wiping the table with a wet rag, just to keep her mind from other things.  
  
"It's time," Buffy announced morosely. She looked around with everyone, each person's face almost emotionless. But she knew that inside of each head there was the screaming of a thousand contradicting thoughts. She knew, because it was inside of her head too.  
  
Everyone said good luck, shaking hands and giving hugs. Xander kissed Anya sweetly on the mouth before leaning over and kissing her stomach where there unborn child grew.  
  
"I'll be back before you know it," he told them with a goofy smile.  
  
Tears filled Anya's eyes as she grabbed her husband into a tight hug. "Be careful."  
  
When it came to hugging Tara, no one knew quite what to say. Thank you? I love you? What the hell are you thinking? All of them were right in a certain respect, but none seemed appropriate.  
  
When Spike got to hugging Tara, he smiled at her charmingly and she couldn't help but choke a giggle. Had his eyes always been that blue? She thought to herself. She hugged him, and then it occurred to her that he was the last one.  
  
The gang stood in the entrance hall for a moment in complete silence before Buffy turned and walked out the door, Xander bringing up the rear and closing it with a satisfying click behind him.  
  
The walk to the school was quiet and morbid to say the least. David kept practicing moves with the ax on the way, nearly hitting Dawn quite o few times, but she didn't seem to mind. She was in a daze of sorts, thinking about her life before being the Slayer, life even before Buffy was. Her thoughts were interrupted when Spike placed his arm around her shoulders and she looked up at him.  
  
"How're you doing, Nibblet."  
  
She shrugged.  
  
"You too huh?" Spike asked with a smile.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening," she said.  
  
"Not like it's your first apocalypse."  
  
"It's the first when I'm responsible for stopping it!"  
  
Spike nodded. "Well yeah, but if you're anything like your big sis, and I know you are, then you'll be fine. We'll get through this, we always do."  
  
"Not always," Dawn corrected him. Spike took his hand down from her shoulder and ran it through his hair.  
  
"I won't let that happen, Dawn, not again."  
  
"It wasn't your fault you know."  
  
Spike didn't respond.  
  
"You did everything you could, and you'll do everything in your power to protect the world tonight too, you don't have to prove yourself to anyone."  
  
Spike allowed himself to half-smile at her and he ruffled her hair palyfully. "You're alright kid."  
  
Dawn nodded at him and looked ahead of herself. Everyone had stopped. There it was. The school stood ominously over the Hellmouth without even knowing it. The building was a place of hell, for many students and alumni of the school, this was not just a figurative expression.  
  
Dawn stepped forward and stood by Buffy, as tall and as proud as she possibly could. She looked at her sister who nodded once, and the unsung heroes, savers of the world, entered through the gates of Hell.  
  
  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Muahahahahahahaha! This is just getting too damn fun! Oh the suspense, oh the horror! LOL... please review! 


	22. Power

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 22: Power  
  
Buffy led the way into the school, with Dawn who was brandishing her weapon of choice, a sword that Giles had gotten her for her seventeenth birthday, close behind her. Everyone was wielding some sort of pointy weapon, and Dawn could almost smell the fear radiating off of the lot of them. She ignored it as best she could, because the Slayer was desperately trying to ignore her own fear.  
  
Dawn looked at her sister who was walking toward the library with such confidence. She had done it so many times that the courage seemed to come so naturally to her. Buffy could feel Dawn's eyes on her so she gave her a reassuring smile.  
  
They reached the door to the library and stopped for a moment before entering. When they were all inside, they looked around for some sign of mayhem, and there was none.  
  
"What do we do now?" Janice asked.  
  
"Now, we wait," Buffy told her.  
  
As if on cue, there was a sudden jolt of the earth. Then the shaking became more violent and everyone struggled to remain balanced. Just like Buffy, Giles, Willow and Xander remembered it happening, the ground cracked open and created a large schism in the earth. From it there was a bright light, as about a dozen Fyarl demons climbed from the whole. Before they even paid any attention to the people standing there to fight them, they turned and bowed their heads in respect.  
  
Then it happened. Ayanathla rose from the burning light and floated glamorously to the grown. She was beautiful, Dawn noted, very beautiful. Dawn remembered the story that Anya had told her, of what she was before she was this beast, and Dawn thought of how much more beautiful she must have been when she wasn't filled with hate.  
  
The sorceress looked around at her opponents, and smiled spitefully at them. "Look at you," she said, "it's just so cute. I love how you think you can stop me. You think I can't just wish you dead and have be done with this?"  
  
Buffy was about to make a quick retort, the way a Slayer usually does but Dawn beat her to it.  
  
"I think if you wanted us dead, we would be dead already. No, you don't really seem like the type to take an easy kill."  
  
"You're smarter than you look," Ayanathla said with a bit of a laugh. "It would definitely be much more fun beating you to death."  
  
"Bring it on, bitch."  
  
Ayanathla ran at Dawn and her minions followed her example. The battle had begun.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Anya paced about the living room of the house for a good twenty minutes, though to her time meant nothing. She was expected the worst at any minute, to just suddenly be turned into a pile of dust. But absolutely nothing was happening.  
  
Tara and Willow were upstairs setting up in their room. They figured they should be prepared to stop when Anya said she would tell them to start. She had told them that there would be some sort of sign, and that it would be useless to start if she were still bound.  
  
Anya continued to pace, and she thought that she might have even dented the floor from walking in the same spot for so long. She started to bite her nails when she was suddenly thrown from her feet as the earth shook suddenly. Anya placed both hands on the ground and felt the vibrations of the ground beneath her. She didn't wait.  
  
"Start now!"  
  
Willow and Tara sat in their room in the middle of the sacred circle they had made. The lovers shared one last kiss before they began.  
  
They sat palm to palm, and Tara began to chant. Willow picked up the sage and placed it into the small fire that was between them.  
  
"Mina abba alaya... mina abba avshota... mina abba Ayanathla..." was the eerie chant that came from Tara's lips. She closed her eyes and continued for a few minutes. Suddenly, her eyes shot open and were completely black, and her head flew back violently. A few tears fell from Willow's eyes, she could barely stand to see her like that.  
  
Tara mumbled inaudible words over and over, it was mindless the way she chanted. Her skin became hot and began to bubble, and the witch let out a painful scream.  
  
Willow, not able to bear it any longer, broke the promise she has made to her lover.  
  
"Mina abba Ayanathla..." she chanted, overpowering Tara and taking on the spell herself.  
  
Tara's body relaxed. She looked up, confuzed and panting to see Willow doing the spell, completely alone. She had blocked Tara off, not even allowing her to be the anchor. She was strong, stronger than any witch ever to walk the earth, and Tara feared for her.  
  
"Willow!" Tara screamed, trying to get her attention, but she was too far- gone. The red-head made no response. She had taken on the spell full force, and no power in the universe could stop her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Dawn flew back against a wall, and looked around, ignoring her opponent for the briefest moment in order to see what was taking place around her. Spike had a demon up against a wall as another attacked him from behind. Xander was slicing his ax into anything he could reach. Giles threw punches as two Fyarls took him on at once. Dave was clumsily tossing around his ax, killing what he could. Janice was kicking as hard as she could and stabbing thinks with the sword Buffy had given her whenever she was close enough. Buffy was taking on three at once. She looked flawless as she battled the ruthless killers.  
  
Dawn focused her attention back on Ayanathla, who was charging her once again. "Come on, Tara," she mumbled.  
  
She threw her fist full force at the beast, and threw her back a few feet.  
  
"Also stronger than you look," she said. "I'm beginning to like you, Dawnie."  
  
Suddenly, Dawn got a flash memory of being held by Glory. Being called her pet-name by someone who she hated with such a violent passion. Anger overcame all other emotions within Dawn, as she ran at Ayanathla. She high- kicked her in the face and spun around to punch her in the same spot.  
  
The sorceress actually looked a bit phased. "Okay, so maybe I don't like you THAT much."  
  
She pulled back her fist and Dawn could tell that this would be it. Ayanathla had had her fun, and now Dawn was going to die.  
  
Before her fist reached the teen Slayer's face, Ayanathla began to shake violently. She clasped her hands over her head and let out and ear- splitting shriek. Everyone one in the room stopped what they were doing to look at her.  
  
Ayanathla slowly slid her hands down her face and lowered them to her sides. "What did you do?" She asked, as she burst into flames.  
  
The Fyarls suddenly all exploded into dust and the Hellmouth shut itself. There was silence in the school. It was so frightening to hears silence after the horrifying noise that had just been within the walls. Dawn turned around fearfully, not sure that she wanted to see what was behind her; however, as strange as it seemed to her, everyone was standing.  
  
All had the same exact expression of shock and pain on his or her face. Buffy ran forward, the clapping of her shoes painfully loud against the stone floor and she grabbed Dawn into a tight hug.  
  
"We did it," Buffy sighed, "we did it."  
  
Dawn could think of nothing to do but cry.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Tara choked sobs of sadness and anger as she held the head of her lover in her lap. "Did I lose you?" She whimpered helplessly.  
  
"I'm right here," Willow responded, her voice barely a whisper.  
  
"Oh God, Will, you promised."  
  
Willow would have said something, apologized or made a plea of forgiveness, but she had already fallen into a deep sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Okay everyone, just one more chapter to go! I know, can you believe it? Anyway, please review!!!!!!!! 


	23. Aftershock

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc... except of course the ones I make up.  
  
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.  
  
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.  
  
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN  
  
Chapter 23: Aftershock  
  
Everything was fine. In the most abstract sense of the word, everything was fine.  
  
There was of course the aftershock earth tremors every few hours for about a week after the battle, but very few people noticed them. Mostly it was just vampires and demons, and the Slayers of course.  
  
Willow was doing fine as well. Despite the frequent head splitting migraines that she was suffering from, she was doing much better. It took her a few days after the spell to fully recollect the events of the evening. Everyone gave her time and space and rest, and Tara cried a lot. Fortunately for everyone, Willow didn't fall into the darkness that Tara had feared that she would. Once she had gotten better, she decided to buy a piano, no one questioned her reasoning, and Buffy figured having a musical instrument in the house couldn't hurt, even if no one knew how to play it. Someone would learn, she decided.  
  
Janice and David recovered well. Since they had never faced an apocalypse before, Buffy and Dawn decided that they were handling it exceptionally well.  
  
After finding out that Ayanathla had been killed, Anya became quiet for days. She spoke little, and spent much of the time with her hand on her stomach, caressing the spot. Eventually she began to talk again in the way that only she could; it was like nothing had ever happened.  
  
Once Anya began talking again and Willow came out of her weeklong daze, everything seemed to be back to normal. Only the bad guys were dead, and everyone seemed for the most part, happy.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Dawn rolled over in her bed and her eyes fluttered open. She looked at her clock, which told her it was ten o'clock in the morning.  
  
"Saturday," she smiled to herself.  
  
The Slayer sat up and yawned. She kicked her legs over the bed and placed her feet into her fuzzy blue slippers. She walked lazily down the stairs to the sweet smell of Tara making pancakes.  
  
"Morning," Tara greeted the girl with pleasant grin. "Round or funny shapes?"  
  
Dawn laughed, "the stomach knows no difference."  
  
Tara giggled and went back to what she was doing. Willow was pouring glassed of orange juice and Spike was sitting at the island, reading the newspaper and sipping some mystery liquid out of a mug. When Dawn got close enough, she saw that it was only coffee. She absently picked it up and took a long sip.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was drinking that!"  
  
"Well maybe if you stuck to blood then people wouldn't be drinking your stuff."  
  
"Not people, Nibblet, just you," he said, poking her in the side. She laughed and jumped back, grabbing a glass of orange juice as she did.  
  
"Is Buffy still sleeping?" Dawn asked.  
  
"No," Spike answered plainly, his attention more on the newspaper than on the girl. "She's up. I don't know what she's still doing up stairs but she's awake."  
  
"Well the pancakes are done," Tara informed the group. "Dawn, would you just run up and let Buffy know for me?"  
  
Dawn nodded, "sure," and ran upstairs.  
  
She knocked on her sister's door and opened it cautiously when there no response. "Buffy?"  
  
The elder Slayer suddenly came storming out of the bathroom, fretting about something. When she saw Dawn standing there she just stopped. She looked into her sister's eyes and Dawn could see that Buffy's were glistening with unshed tears.  
  
"Buffy? What's wrong?"  
  
Buffy wiped her eyes, desperately trying to hide the fact that something was obviously bothering her.  
  
"It's nothing, Dawnie, don't worry about it, okay."  
  
"Buffy, I worry. You're not crying for nothing."  
  
"Dawn, please, I can't talk about it right now. Let's just go downstairs."  
  
Buffy attempted to just simply walk briskly past her sister, but Dawn wouldn't let it go that easily. She grabbed her arm and pulled her back around to face her.  
  
"Buffy please. If something's wrong, you know you can talk to me," Dawn pleaded with her eyes, "you can tell me anything."  
  
Tears suddenly began to fall slowly from Buffy's eyes as she faced her sister, mustering all the courage that she could.  
  
"Dawn, I'm pregnant."  
  
  
  
  
  
END  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Wow. What a ride. I can't believe I'm finished. But never fear, I have a sequel called "Family" that I will be posting shortly. And remember, many reviews equals a happy writer, and a happy writer makes a fast writer, so the more reviews I get, that faster I will post it. 


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